Varadkar pledges to increase garda numbers in bid to fight gang-related crime

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the justice minister have rejected Fianna Fáil proposals to ease the threshold for evidence used to prosecute gangs in the wake of this week's crime spree.

Nonetheless, Mr Varadkar pledged to put the killers of teenager Keane Mulready Woods "behind bars" and to make Drogheda safe again.

As law and order moved centre stage in the election campaign, he also promised to set up up to seven task forces to help towns and areas impacted by around the country, including Drogheda.

The comments came as senior gardaí in Drogheda briefed Mr Varadkar and Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan about the gang warfare in region in the wake of the brutal killing of the Drogheda teenager.

Mr Varadkar said he wants to reemphasise the revulsion over the brutal murder of the young boy and to reassure the people of Drogheda that the Government is behind them: “We are going to get these people behind bars and we are going to make this town safe again.”

He said he wants to hear from gardaí if there is anything else the Government can do.

He said gardaí and authorities need evidence and those who supply it will be protected: “What has to happen is that we restore going law and order to any part of our country, where there are serious crimes occurring.”

Mr Varadkar pledged that increased garda numbers are helping the fight against crime around the country: “We've pledged that there will be an extra 700 gardaí recruited every year.

"That's a very different approach to a previous government which ended garda recruitment — we will get the garda service up to 21,000 people by next year.”

But Mr Varadkar said he would like to see a special task force, similar to one established in Dublin city centre, to help tackle crime and anti-social elements.

That could be expanded, not only in Drogheda, but other parts of the country, he pledged: “That hasn't solved all the problems in the northeast inner city by any means, but I do think it has made a difference.

"I'd like to, if we are reelected to office, is to expand that to maybe six or seven other parts of the country.”

This would form part of the government manifesto, he said.

While Fianna Fáil yesterday called for an easing of the laws so garda opinions could be used to ultimately jail gangs, the Government ruled this out.

Mr Varadkar said: “They [gardai] say to me that they have adequate laws.

"We don't need a new law against murder or new law against drug dealing or a new law against directing a criminal organisation because those things are already against the law.

"What we need is convictions. We need to get these people behind bars and that's what we're going to do.”