The savage tit for tat killing on our streets is putting innocent people at risk as gangland thugs continue to pursue their violent vendettas.

These killings are being carried out on our doorsteps, on the streets where our children play and at the very heart of our peaceful and law abiding communities. If we don’t get tough on crime, we risk more innocent people, like Donna Cleary, getting caught up in a spiral of vicious gangland activity. These people have no respect for our community or the people who live in it.

In 2008 there were 17 gangland killings, 32 fatal stabbings, and 1300 arrested for the possession of knives, and already for just 5 months in 2009 there have been 12 gangland killings, but these criminals are not being adequately punished.

The Government needs to get serious about tacking gangland crime. Just 13% of the 171 gun murders in the State in last 11 years have resulted in a successful conviction. So criminals know that nine out of ten gun murderers will get away with it. It is only by getting tough that we can hope to reverse this fatal trend.

In Government Fine Gael will:

• Restriction orders should be used to prevent gang members from freely conducting their savage business.
• Judges should set a minimum period of 25 years that a person convicted of murder must serve. Remission of a sentence should have to be earned, not given automatically.
• The sentence for possession of a fire arm/knife should increase to 10 years.