The issue isn’t so much the current legislation and sentencing policy as the lack of Garda resources to do anything about it. Templemore sitting empty and serious cutbacks on Garda overtime are the bigger problems.

It would be interesting to see the scale of gangland murders in Ireland on a chart. I wonder how much of an increase there has been since the introduction of the misuse of drugs act in the 1970’s.

The illegal status of drugs gives these horrible people a massively profitable reason to kill people, look at their counterparts in Mexico… 27,199 deaths last year alone.

Kevin, in the Irish times it’s mentioned that two brothers of this man are serving life sentences for murder. So who are these people who are only getting slaps on the wrists?

@zoltar , your inferring that somehow it’s the illegal staus of drugs that give them cause or reason , do you think they wouldn’t do so if the drugs were legal ?

Cannabis is a weed that grows freely in the ground, cocaine is cheaper to produce than sugar on a large scale, the illegal status of these substances worldwide attaches a risk that increases the price 100 fold so yes I am inferring that the illegal status of drugs makes it worthwhile for gangsters to kill each other over territorial and competitive issues.

If each substance was thought about appropriately and regulated accordingly in line with it’s relevant harm to the individual/society I believe the instances of these murders would dramatically decrease.

Gangsterism was born out of prohibition and nothing has changed, our policies along with most other countries encourages crime.

@Zoltar , i’m not totally against legalising drugs , but i cant see how even if drugs were regulated that gangsters would stop wanting to deal illegally in the market…… and how you make the leap that legalising this would stop gun violence -which is the topic here. Blaming ‘policies’ along with other countries as an encouragement for crime is utter shite…so your saying because coke isnt regulated and cheaper the dealers which kill each other for control of territory with guns and murder would be less encouraged or this would be a solution …have you any logical explanation at all that explains how exactly the gangster crime would be stopped if we just legalised drugs like coke ?

Frank you are 100% right…..

Ten years for a life not a lot. It should be 30 minimum

30 years are you mad? Life without parole should do the job! And no contact visiting for the whole time!!

The US has far harsher sentencing than Ireland and it has the highest proportion of people incarcerated in the western world. These guys do not fear prison, they see it as simply a part of their life.

@diarmuid well said.sure half these guys run things from their prison cells & in america gangs on the streets take orders from the higher ups who are in prison.

I wonder how upset you would be if someone you loved was killed in a car crash caused by someone on the phone?? Then got fined €20. People should NEVER drive while on the phone.

“Leave them at it” is a common enough suggestion. But what about the innocents that get caught up in it?
No, we need these guns off the streets.
I’m not sure how to tackle the issue because its true these people don’t fear the law.
But much stiffer sentences would certainly help.

Some radical measures are needed to tackle this for this is all about the drug trade. Legalise the drug industry, take the money away from the criminals, use the income for education, rehabilition and improving social conditions and free up the courts, gardai and prison service. Portugal de criminalised 10 years ago and have seen drug use cut in half. Prohibition clearly doesn’t work so lets stop using the same methods over and over and expecting different results.

McDowell was PD not FF.

We are living in a gangland. Whether they “own” land or not these thugs seen to thin they run the streets.

Yes Denis, but using the term allows them to think they are entitled to control the area! I think the point about the Provos is interesting. Rather than them keeping the thugs at bay, I think they became the thugs as they were no longer”active service”. I think you can trace the proliferation of guns available on the streets back to decommissioning.

The government always think we dont need the police cos were are a bunch of law abiding citizens,and closing hospitals and schools,to save money for their own pockets,they just sit and watch everyone take the law into their own hands..wake up enda kenny

So many factors contributing to the problems that the country is facing and I do hold the gov to blame for it! Starve a rat and put it in a maze with food at the end of it and it’ll eat through every wall to get to it!

Patrick, these people were kids or not even born when the troubles were going on. I hope your not suggesting that the provos should come back as “law enforcement”?

Rubbish. Absolute Rubbish. You sure as hell know little about Limerick.

Willy is some man with a gun though

and he looks like the Irish Magnum with that pistol in that famous photo