Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has said he is encouraged by the progress the gardaí are making in crushing the activities of criminal gangs in Limerick.
He was speaking as he met Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy and senior gardaí at Roxboro station in Limerick.
Mr Ahern spent almost two hours being briefed by gardaí this morning on their investigation into the activities of criminal gangs in Limerick, and their investigation into what Mr Ahern described as the brutal murder of Shane Geoghegan last month.
The minister said that it is clear the pressure being exerted on these gangs is yielding encouraging results, according to what gardaí have told him. He said the capacity of these criminal factions to carry out their deadly trade is being increasingly curtailed.
Targeted garda operations in Limerick city will continue to bring those responsible for the shooting of Mr Geoghegan to justice, the minister added.
He also announced that two new CCTV schemes will be established in the Southill area covering 1,100 homes. They will help gardaí in their work and reassure the communities living in these areas.
