Gangland murder - Government indifference a disgrace

The latest gangland killing in Dublin is a grim reminder of how serious the problem has become.

The Taoiseach and Justice Minister seemed to be blaming the judiciary for too lenient sentences, but their remedy so far has been little more than empty rhetoric.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell flippantly dismissed the criticism of the Opposition yesterday by suggesting that Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny was “at the angry pills again”. But the Minister is underestimating the public mood if he thinks the whole thing can be dismissed as a laughing matter.

There may be a tendency among some people to belittle the impact of criminals killing each other, but such killings lead to a cheapening of human life.

The crazy killing of Donna Cleary, minding her own business at a party last weekend, is a horrific example of the consequences.

Dwayne Foster, the chief suspect, should have been in jail, but the gardaí had not yet served a commital warrant on him. This was only one of 2,000 outstanding warrants in that area of Dublin.

The backlog on warrants, the hospital waiting lists, and the current unprecedented level of overcrowding in A&E departments are all indications of the need for reform. Does the Government really care? Not bloody likely! They are all off on holiday again next week.