Gardai must be resourced to tackle gangland crime

When finishing canvass this evening in Dublin Central I came across armed Gardai, closed roads and a preserved crime scene.  Unfortunately this just indicated  another in a long list of shootings in Dublin City over the past few years.  The fact is criminals know that our Government has underfunded and under-resourced our Gardai.  Criminals feel no fear of being detected and act with impunity.  The vast majority of residents in the North Inner City and Dublin Central are outraged, horrified and traumatised by this violence and killing.  Cold blooded murder on the streets of Dublin Central is totally unacceptable.  The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors this evening confirmed that the Gardai are insufficiently resourced to tackle gangland crime.  This is unacceptable and the next Dáil must restore Garda resources in Dublin Central.  Since Labour and Fine Gael entered Government we have lost 150 Gardai, Fitzgibbon Street and Whitehall Garda Stations have closed and Cabra is on reduced hours.  Families are traumatised and it is unfair that the people  of Dublin Central should have to pay the price for Fine Gael and Labour cuts to Garda resources.