Taoiseach Enda Kenny was not admitting defeat in the battle against gangland crime when he said he could not stop the feud between the Kinahan and Hutch factions, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has said.
Mr Kenny has been criticised for saying after the murder of Gareth Hutch in Dublin on Tuesday that the dispute was “a vicious, murderous” one between two families “and I don’t think I can stop that”.
When challenged by Labour leader Brendan Howlin on his remarks, Mr Kenny said he meant he personally could not stop it but that any resources, facilities and backing requested by the Garda Commissioner to protect citizens would be made available.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Donohoe, a TD for the area wher emany of the murders in the feud have taken place, said: "An Taoiseach was not admitting defeat, nothing could be further from the truth, what he is aware of is that the individuals we are dealing with are deaf to calls to cease their murderous activity."
Resources
Mr Donohoe said resources for the gardaí were not an issue.
“It’s not a question of resources, the Government is committed to bringing these people to justice.”
He said shootings and cycle of murder has shocked, appalled and threatened the community that I live beside.
“The Government will spare no effort to bring to justice those people who perpetrated these murders. Through the garda siochana and work with local communities to respond to the consequences of what happened.”
Meanwhile, Anna Quigley of the Inner City Organisation Network said Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald needed to take leadership and ensure consistent policing in the inner city.
She told Newstalk Breakfast: "This is the fourth person to be killed in a few weeks in a very small area. The whole community is horrified but also terrified.
“We are calling on the Minister - she needs to take leadership and immediately convene all the players who have a role in this. We need consistent policing for the next while, that needs to be there all the time because there is so much fear in this community.
She added: “The root cause of this is the drugs trade that has taken root in our area, we now have a Minister for Drugs, we need them at the table. We need to look at the services on the ground, trying to deal with the drugs issue, and a whole wide range of issues, like youth services, they have a crucial role in trying to divert young people away from getting involved in this.”