McDowell admits gangland ‘last sting’ claim wrong

AS Justice Minister Michael McDowell admitted a claim he made two years ago that the threat of gangland murders had been snuffed out, new figures reveal prosecutions have been taken in just one-in-six gun murders since the coalition came to power nine years ago.

The figures show that since 1998 — just months after the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrat partners entered Government — out of 113 gun deaths, prosecutions have only been taken in 19 cases.

There have been 20 gun murders so far this year, just one short of a record 21 last year. The figures do not include recent gun deaths, only accounting for attacks up to November 2.