Lenihan rules out cutbacks in combating gang crime

JUSTICE Minister Brian Lenihan last night insisted there was no question of Garda overtime being reduced for operations to tackle gangland crime.

Responding to the latest two killings in Limerick, Mr Lenihan said the Garda had made good progress in both cases.

One person was charged last night in relation to the killing of 40-year-old Mark Moloney, and Mr Lenihan said the Garda had “very definite leads” in the second case, the killing of 20-year-old James Cronin.

Mr Lenihan attempted to play down concerns that restraints on the Garda overtime budget could hinder efforts to combat the violence in Limerick.

Last week, a Garda conference was told that the force’s overtime budget was due to run out in August and that the Government had ruled out allocating extra money.

The Garda chief administrative officer, John Leamy, told the annual conference of the Association of Garda Superintendents that there was no question of going “cap in hand” to the Government.

But Mr Lenihan said there was no question of cutbacks to overtime in the policing of highly organised crime.

“The Garda Commissioner made it very clear, I’ve made it clear, [that] the Garda vote this year has ample provision for overtime, and specifically, the funds allocated to the various operations that target high-organised crime… are ring-fenced within the budget this year, so there’s no question of cutbacks in overtime in this area.”

Mr Lenihan said that while his department was examining the possibility of bugging suspects and giving the prosecution the ability to use that evidence in court, he would not rush into a decision.

“I’m having it examined in the department, but remember, we already get a great amount of intelligence from surveillance… and I don’t want to compromise that system. So any move forward in this area has to be considered with great care.”