No effective measures had been put in place to combat crime in the 18 months that the Government has been in office, according to the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Ahern.
The Minister for Justice appeared fettered by her wimpish partners in Government, he said in a statement yesterday. There is a danger of sinking under the weight of proposals, commissions and review bodies, task forces and inquiries.
Meanwhile, the party's law reform spokesman, Mr Willie O'Dea, has suggested that a committee of senior gardai and representatives of the Department of Justice and the Attorney General's Office should set out guidelines for undercover work.
Gardai involved in undercover operations against organised crime were engaged in, highly dangerous work, he stated. Because of its nature, this type of covert activity was largely uncharted territory. Gardai had to be fully protected against false allegations from criminal sources, Mr O'Dea said.