Laws will tackle sharp rise in crime, says minister

JUSTICE MINISTER Dermot Ahern said recent legislation he brought in will help combat the sharp rise in gangland crime.

He was commenting as new figures show a massive jump in murders, shootings and robberies in the last three months. There were 15 murders between April and June, compared with eight in the same period last year. Some five of these 15 murders were gangland killings.

Shootings jumped from 49 to 68, while bank and post office robberies rose from 193 to 240.