TWO LIMERICK Government Ministers have staunchly defended the legislation to allow for non-jury trials as essential to dealing with gangland crime in their city.

Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea said the gangs “are trying to intimidate people from showing publicly that they wish to bring to an end the malaise being caused by the gangs. Such is the brazenness and bravado of these gangs that they now seriously believe they have won and that they hold the entire city and region to ransom”.

He sharply criticised the Labour Party’s opposition to the Bill. They demanded the Government take action in the wake of the murder of Shane Geoghegan but were “now trying to defend and advance the human rights of the people who have ordered at least two dozen murders in Limerick of which we know”.

Labour justice spokesman described the Minister as “ridiculous” and his remarks “scurrilous”.

Mr O’Dea said “our duty . . . is crystal clear. It is to send a strong, universally recognisable and unmistakable signal that they cannot, must not and will not prevail.”

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Peter Power said “in an ideal world, any government would be reluctant to bring forward the types of extraordinary provisions contained in this legislation”. The “reality is we are dealing with some of the most ruthless and callous people ever to come into our society”.

Limerick had “changed radically in the past 10 years. We now have highly organised criminal gangs which do not only operate in the city but which have also committed crimes in Dublin.

“As these people are prepared to intimidate jurors in my city of Limerick, it would be naive to think they are not capable or willing of intimidating jurors in this or any other city in the country.”

Finian McGrath (Ind, Dublin North Central) said “violence and intimidation are devastating communities and must be stopped because people are sick and tired of the situation”. He said “gangs ... are armed to the teeth” with intimidation in every city.

Brendan Kenneally (FF, Waterford) stressed the need to target people at the top of criminal gangs, rather than simply dealing with the “mules” at the bottom.

“We must change the way we do things and go after the people at the top, which is exactly what this legislation allows us to do.”