Govt under fire in Dáil fire after latest gangland killing

The Government has come under fire in the Dáil this morning over its response to escalating violent crime in Dublin.

Last night, the city's gangland wars claimed the life of a 25-year-old man, the fifth person to be murdered in Ireland in the space of a week.

Gerard Byrne is also the twenty-fourth person to be killed with a firearm so far this year.

In a statement this morning, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell insisted that the Gardaí had all the resources they needed to confront criminal gangs.

He also said every human life merited defence by the State and it was unacceptable that crime bosses were taking the law into their own hands.

However, speaking in the Dáil, Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton said the Government had lost control of the situation.

"The Tánaiste and his Government promised there would be zero tolerance in relation to crime," he said.

"The truth is murders are up 46%, homicide 115%, assault 131%, gun crime 300%."