The Government was challenged again in the Dáil on crime figures in the wake of the murder in Donaghmede, North Dublin of a 24-year-old man.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny noted it was the 19th murder this year. "Today executions, hits and gun crime are rife across the capital city" he said and claimed that gardaí had not enough resources.
The Government had promised to make people safe on the streets and in their homes "but neither has happened and that is an indictment of the whole Government".
Mr Kenny added: "Nine years after a change in the bail laws the Minister for Justice is reviewing it so that those who are out on bail cannot commit further serious crime. Does the Taoiseach accept . . . that detection rates have fallen while crime rates are increasing."
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that there had been an "enormous increase in the budget" and no requests from the Garda had been refused.
They were putting more gardaí on the street, giving the Garda more resources, providing more prison places and more resources for initiatives to target criminal gangs directly.
Up to this month 377 firearms were seized and more than 2,100 arrests were made for serious crimes including murder and serious assault.
Mr Kenny said that "gardaí with inferior communications are up against vicious, criminal organisations in a number of locations . . . In some places gardaí have to travel to the scene of crimes and accidents in taxis while others are driving around in vehicles that have been involved in several crashes and are not roadworthy".
The Taoiseach said that the Government had to force a bail referendum as a further deterrent to dangerous criminals. Implementation of that system is a matter for the courts. He said that Deputy Kenny wanted to give the impression that there were not more gardaí, and more investment and more resources "but that is not true".
"We have refused no request by the Garda Commissioner be it for communications, vehicles computer systems or whatever.
"We have provided resources for Operation Anvil and specialised programmes and huge amounts have been provided for overtime to assist the Garda in its work."
He added that the level of headline crime was lower per capita than it was a decade ago. In 1995 with 3.6 million people there were 29 crimes per thousand. The most recent figures showed that with a population of 4.1 million there were 25 crimes.
