PRESS RELEASE

GREEN PARTY CONTRADICTS MINISTER O'DEA OVER GARDA RESOURCES

The Green Party has called on Willie O'Dea T.D., Minister of State for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to clarify whether he believes that sufficient resources are being given to the Garda to tackle gangland crimes.

In the Dáil today Green Party Justice spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD called for greater resources to assist the Gardaí in addressing serious crime.

"Several times this year Minister O'Dea has said that resources are not an issues in tackling crime", stated Mr. Cuffe, "Deputy O'Dea even made the outrageous statement that 'it is a myth that there is a direct correlation between crime levels and the resources provided by Government' in the Dáil on the 28th February last."

The Green Party is a calling for additional resources to tackle violent crimes and tabled the following question in the Dáil today:

"Arising from the collapse of the murder trial of Liam Keane yesterday, can the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and the Junior Minister for Justice Willie O'Dea reassure the Dáil that sufficient technical, human and financial resources are being provided to address the disturbing incidence of gangland killings in the State."

"The current issue of the Garda Review quotes Garda Paul Brown of the Garda Representative Association as stating that there was a total lack of (Garda) resources which was rendering the Gardai in Limerick unable to supply the service that the public requires."

"The Green Party is calling on the Government to recruit additional Gardaí and provide sufficient resources to enable the Gardaí in Limerick to provide an adequate service."