Taoiseach promises Gardaí ‘whatever facilities they require’ to tackle gangland crime

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has promised that all required resources will be provided to the Gardaí to tackle gangland crime.

Taoiseach promises Gardaí ‘whatever facilities they require’ to tackle gangland crime

By Elaine Loughlin, political reporter

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has promised that all required resources will be provided to the Gardaí to tackle gangland crime.

Speaking this evening Mr Kenny said: “The Government will respond here in terms of whatever the Commissioner [Noirín O’Sullivan] needs to do the job the Gardaí will be given, and will be funded by Government to see that they are enabled and operationally sufficient to do the job that they must do."

This morning the GRA, which represents rank-and-file Gardaí, came out strongly against the Government for not providing enough resources to the force.

GRA president Dermot O’Brien told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland radio programme that the force is under-resourced and called on members to be protected “when they go out there”.

“We are also looking for the immediate introduction of the MP7 machine gun.

“And the return of the Uzi until the MP7 is introduced,” Mr O’Brien said adding that it had been taken away in 2012 and not replaced.

But speaking in Wicklow on the campaign trail Mr Kenny would not confirm if these arms would be introduced, instead he said it would be up to the Garda Commissioner.

“I saw comments on the kind of arms that might be needed by the Gardaí, the commissioner together with her personnel will know what type of arms are required by the emergency response unit and whatever facilities they require to do their job will be given to them."

He added: “It’s not for me to determine any particular kind of facility, but whatever she needs for Garda forced to do their job will be dealt with by government.”

Asked if the Gardaí had failed given that they said they did not have intelligence before Friday’s attack:

“I can’t comment on the operational decisions or levels of intelligence that is available to the gardaí obviously the commissioner will deal with that.

“I think there is a situation here of very high alert.

“The Gardaí will now be very active on the streets in attempting to cope with the escalation in gangland crime.”

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