Ahern says Garda will get whatever it needs in fight against gangs

THE GARDA will get whatever it needs to deal with criminal gangs, “whether it is in Limerick or anywhere else on this island”, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern told the Dáil.

He was speaking during the ongoing debate on the controversial Criminal Justice Bill whose provisions include non-jury courts for criminal gangs, as well as creating an offence of criminal gang membership and of directing such a gang.

Mr Ahern said the Garda “has the resources it requires and will receive more if it requires more. I want to nail that allegation on the head.”

The introductory or second-stage debate on the Bill took place on Friday but a vote was held over until yesterday. Sinn Féin challenged for a vote but did not have sufficient numbers, a minimum of 10 deputies, and the second stage was passed.

Mr Ahern revised the definition of organised crime from previous legislation to make it “simpler and easier to prove participation in a gang”.

“It is also now clear that it is enough for two persons to act in concert rather than three.”

Sinn Féin spokesman Aengus Ó Snodaigh said: “The Minister is misleading the public into thinking that this section is either necessary or useful in tackling gangland crime.”

Mr Ó Snodaigh said there was a great deal of existing legislation which could be usefully employed.

The wealth of most criminal gangs comes from drugs and they “have at their disposal vast quantities of weapons with which they can intimidate communities,” he said.

“Such weapons enter the country in virtually every shipment of drugs that arrives here. In another era, the Provisional IRA might have been proud of some of these weapons.”

Mr Ó Snodaigh added: “The only way to deal with the availability of these weapons is to tackle the drugs trade and to intercept drug shipments entering the country.”

Labour’s justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte introduced an amendment to allow the Criminal Assets Bureau to apply to forfeit seized property after two years rather than the current seven-year wait.

Mr Rabbitte said such a move could mean a once-off cash income to the exchequer of up to €50 million. The Bill will be concluded on Friday.