Labour hits out at Minister for Justice following release of crime figures

Labour has called for a reorganisation of local policing in an effort to reduce crime rates.

It comes as new figures show an almost 20% rise in the number of murders or manslaughters recorded by Gardaí in the second quarter of this year.

But they also indicate a slight drop in serious crimes in the year to the end of June.

The Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan says there's no room for complacency in the figures.

But Labour's Brendan Howlin believes he's not getting the message:

“I'm not sure he's fully grasped how serious the situation is,” he said this afternoon.

“I believe now it is the most significant public threat to Ireland - particularly the drugs industry which is now worth more than a billion euro annually.

Deputy Howlin added, “At local level, we need to have a different structure for the Gardaí to ensure that community policing is visible in communities.”