A RESTORATION of the Garda murder squad in its traditional form was ruled out by the Minister for Justice, when answering questions about the recent series of murders.

There were 43 murders, including two cases where the victims were under one year old, last year, and 20 murders so far this, year, Mrs Owen said.

She added that the Garda authorities were satisfied the maximum resources were deployed in investigating murders and that they were adequate.

She added that the restoration of the murder squad had taken on "a bit of notoriety" in the newspapers, as if without it there were, no resources and facilities for the Garda to investigate murders. "Nothing could be further from the truth."

The Minister quoted from a speech made by the Garda Commissioner, Mr Patrick Culligan, in which he repeated that the murder squad had not been disbanded in the late 1980s. It was reduced substantially in numbers in the belief that detectives would operate more effectively based nearer the location of serious crime and sources of information.

Mrs Owen was replying to the Fianna Fail spokesman on justice, Mr John O'Donoghue, who asked if the investigative expertise available to the Garda was adequate, and if there was a need to reinstate the murder squad, in view of the appalling number of murders in the State over the past 18 months.

Asked by Mr O'Donoghue if she was satisfied with the detection rate in so called gangland or contract killings, the Minister said all murders were murders and there was no such thing in law as a contract killing. However, that was the way some killings were described and they were particularly difficult to investigate and find a culprit because the killer seldom had a connection with the victim.

The Garda authorities had informed her that all such killings were investigated rigorously, and this would continue. In such killings, the information the general public could give to the Garda was particularly important.

Asked by Mr O'Donoghue to consider a weapons amnesty, the Minister said she was sure there were many illegal weapons in the State. She had not given any consideration to an amnesty but would give consideration to some of the issues involved if Mr O'Donoghue tabled a formal question on the matter.

However, in the last hand in of weapons the number was minimal.

Mrs Owen said 29 people were charged in respect of 24 of the 43 murders last year. There were 24 cases pending before the courts, four convictions and one dismissal.

Investigations into the remaining 19 cases were ongoing, and arrests had been made in 15, but the persons concerned were released without charge. In three other cases, the suspects were deceased.

She said 13 people had been charged in respect of 12 of the 20 murders committed so far this year. All these cases were currently pending before the courts. Investigations into the remaining eight were ongoing and arrests had been made in five, but the persons concerned were released without charge. In one other case, the suspect was deceased.

Mrs Owen stressed that the murder figures supplied were provisional and subject to the outcome of Garda investigations, or directions from the law officers. A number of cases might be subsequently reclassified as manslaughter.