Seanad leader horrified by number of gun murders
The number of gun murders in Dublin is horrific and frightening, Seanad leader Mary O’Rourke said tonight.
She told Senators that every morning one wakes up, one hears of more killings.
The former Cabinet minister said: “It is horrific. It is quite frightening. Hopefully, the Criminal Justice Bill will be taken in the House before the end of the session, so we will get a chance to debate those issues.”
Earlier raising the issue, acting Opposition Fine Gael leader Michael Finucane said that only 18 of the 109 gun murders over the last ten years have been solved.
He claimed that a vow of omerta (silence) probably applied in gangland circles and made investigations more difficult.
He added: “However, it appears that any time we have a murder, the minister calls in the Garda Commissioner and there is a knee-jerk reaction. It is almost as if a sticking plaster were being applied for a period.
“The people want effective strategies to counteract this situation.”
Mr Finucane said the problem must be brought under control because it is conveying a very negative image for the country.
“It appears that the drugs lords are smiling at the degree of inaction that exists in respect of taking them out of circulation,” he added.
