The Government needs to introduce more effective measures to deal with criminal and paramilitary bodies, the Labour Party spokesman on justice, Mr Brendan Howlin, said yesterday.
Mr Howlin made his remarks following the murder of Dublin criminal Seamus Hogan. He said the crime was another indication of the "utter failure" of the zero tolerance policies of the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue.
"The fact that Hogan was a notorious and brutal criminal who brought such misery to the community does not make his murder any less reprehensible. The sort of gun law that has led to the death of Hogan and others is a recipe for anarchy."
Mr Howlin said the reported involvement of the IRA in this murder and others was a matter of particular concern.
"Recent newspaper reports suggested that the Provisional IRA has shot dead eight criminals in the past 18 months, four of whom were killed in the Republic. Regardless of any political implications, those involved must be pursued and brought to justice in the same way as anyone else involved in criminal activities."
He said paramilitary gangs posed just as big a threat to our society as their criminal counterparts. "Indeed the differences between the two are not always obvious, with the paramilitaries also frequently involved in robberies and protection rackets . . . It is now time for the Government to direct the CAB to turn its attention to the paramilitary gangs," said Mr Howlin.