THE Dail is to hold a special one day sitting on July 25th to consider Government proposals to combat organised crime, the Taoiseach announced.

Mr Bruton said he would also be seeking proposals from other interested groups in society, including the other Dail parties. He expected that Government proposals, already under consideration, would be ready for the special sitting. "But I have no sense that the proposals we bring forward will represent the final and last word," he added.

Responding to opposition demands, the Taoiseach agreed to consider proposals on the freezing of the assets of drug barons and changes in the right to silence.

The Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, said his party was finalising a Private Member's Bill dealing with the disposal of assets from organised crime, under the direction of the party's spokesman on justice, Mr John O'Donoghue. He urged the Taoiseach to take the Bill in the House next week. "Let us pass a real meaningful and tough Bill, our Bill or your Bill, Taoiseach."

Mr Ahern said that such legislation would show people something could be done about "people with no job buying houses worth 350,000 on Howth Head". There were other criminals buying up derelict sites and building apartments, he added.

We know them. We know some of the people associated with them. The gardai tell the Minister for Justice every day of their activities. And I am sure by this' stage, she, like others in that job, would know their faces well from the photographs and the videos taken over several years about their activities."

Mr Alicia added that the House should "start today, in the memory of Veronica Guerin, to win it back for the ordinary people, or we are a meaningless organisation "here, and we are a meaningless institution".

Agreeing that the disposal of criminal assets was important, the Taoiseach said he had discussed the matter with the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners on Wednesday night. Two weeks ago, the Government had commissioned a joint report from a task force, to be made available on July 18th, on the extra powers required to pursue assets being accumulated by people involved in organised crime.

But it was important that any legislation enacted worked in the courts subsequently. The Government expected to be able to report to the Dail on July 25th, and if legislation was necessary and could be completed in the time available it would be taken on that day.

The PD leader, Ms Mary Harney, pointed out that earlier in the week, her party's spokeswoman on justice, Ms Liz O'Donnell had attempted to amend the Drug trafficking Bill to restrict the right to silence, which shielded the god fathers of crime. The law could be changed next week when the Bill's final stage was considered by the House, she said.

Announcing the special sitting earlier, the Taoiseach said the murder of a journalist on the order of people involved in organised crime was a grave threat to democracy and the standards of life which the State had upheld for more than 75 years. It raised the spectre of organised crime dominating our society in the appalling way that it had come to dominate other societies in Europe until action was taken, Mr Bruton said.

Repeating that the full resources of the State were being applied to finding and bringing to justice those who committed the murder, and those who inspired and directed it, he said that nobody was untouchable. "Let me repeat: nobody is untouchable. Nobody who orders a crime in a democratic society can be allowed to be untouchable and nobody will be allowed to be untouchable."

He said the Government was intensifying its efforts to change administrative and legal procedures in the State so it could deal more effectively with organised crime.

Mr Ahern said they were in the aftermath of what he believed was one of the worst murders in the history of the State, and certainly within his lifetime. He did not believe the House needed a month to see what could be done about the matter.

Ms Harney urged reform of the bail laws, as well as the law on defamation, "which restricts a free press in our society". Ordinary people found it hard to understand when they found the godfathers of crime being described as country squires. "We all know who they are, with their holiday homes, their fast cars and their yachts. And we all have had enough of it. It is time they were put down."