Anti-crime measures – Welcome, but timing a bit suspect

TOUGH new measures to combat crime, unveiled yesterday by Justice Minister Michael McDowell, will be welcomed up and down the country, especially in communities troubled by the upsurge in violence.

Expected to come into force before Easter, the legislation will spark one of the biggest reforms of the criminal justice system seen in decades.

Effectively, the Tánaiste is targeting issues which have been causing considerable unease in the public mind as gangland crime spirals out of control.