Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy has announced the establishment of a permanent Organised Crime Unit (OCU) within the Garda force in response to growing levels of gun and drug crime.
The move comes as Mr Murphy and Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan expressed their concern at the rise in some crime categories last year, particularly gun crime.
Mr Murphy said the unit would have an initial staff of 70. Members of the unit would tackle armed drugs gangs with the emphasis placed on surveillance operations where gardaí would "get in the faces" of serious gangland criminals.
"Last year and the year before we had a considerable number of shootings even though so-called gangland (murder) was down last year," Mr Murphy said at a passing out ceremony at the Garda College, Templemore, Co Tipperary. "I want the Organised Crime Unit to target those people, to be in their faces."
He said while the unit was first established two years ago it was on a temporary footing and manned by those on secondment from other units. However, the unit would now be made permanent with full-time members.
It will be led by an officer of superintendent rank. He would report to the Assistant Commissioner in charge of National Support Services, Martin Callinan, via the Chief Supt in the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Noel White.
"The main target is obviously against organised crime, particularly gun crime," Mr Murphy said.
The awarding of permanent status to the unit is being viewed as a major vote of confidence in its performance over the past 20 months under the leadership of Supt Dominic Hayes.
Mr Lenihan said he believed the unit would be successful in targeting organised crime and gun crime, two issues the public were worried about.
"I know the public are understandably concerned about the increase in the murder rate in recent statistics, but one of the best features of it was that there's been a reduction in gangland murders. There's also been a big reduction in cash-in-transit robberies which are the lifeblood of organised crime."
He said the murder rate for last year was up, by 25 per cent to 86 cases, following an increase in stabbings.
"Many, many of them take place in private dwelling houses and I accept that this is putting a lot of difficulties in place in the way of proper investigation by the gardaí. That said, there has been a good detection rate in this area. It's worth noting that the commonest implement used within domestic dwellings is a knife."
Mr Murphy said while he was also concerned at the increase in fatal stabbings, from 18 in 2006 to 36 last year, knife crime was a societal issue that must be addressed by a range of agencies. It was not simply a policing issue.
He believed a planned awareness campaign around knife crime would help address the issue.
He could not comment on allegations made in a Criminal Assets Bureau High Court hearing on Tuesday by drug dealer John Gilligan that his one-time associate John Traynor had ordered the murder of Veronica Guerin.
However, he said the murder inquiry was still open.
Detectives would take witness statements from anybody with information to share, Mr Murphy said.
Organised Crime Unit: its operations
The Organised Crime Unit (OCU) was established in its original form in May 2006 following a spike in gun murders and multimillion- euro armed robberies. It has operated within the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation under Supt Dominic Hayes.
Its remit has been to target organised crime gangs, mainly in Dublin, but also in Limerick and other regions.
Last year it arrested 130 gangland suspects in connection with armed robberies, drug trafficking, aggravated burglary and firearms offences. It carried out 120 searches, seizing drugs valued at €7 million and 30 firearms - shotguns, handguns and rifles.
It was one of the key units involved in Operation Oak against the major Dublin drug gang led by Martin "Marlo" Hyland.
The reduction last year in gun murders and robberies of cash in transit vans has been partly attributed to the pressure applied to key gangs by the OCU.
