Fine Gael National Press Office Press Release

..................................................................

The frequency with which tiger kidnappings are taking place in Ireland, at a rate of almost one per week, points to an urgent need to allocate additional powers and resources to An Garda Síochána, according to Fine Gael spokesman for Justice and Law Reform, Charlie Flanagan T.D.

"The evidence shows that where tiger kidnappings have been foiled, it has been thanks to Garda monitoring of known criminals. Intelligence-led policing is one of the most effective ways to combat tiger kidnappings which inflict horrendous trauma on victims.

"A 25% cut to Garda overtime and a reduction in the number of new Gardaí in Templemore will make surveillance operations more difficult and this is worrying given the growing number of tiger kidnappings being carried out.

"The Covert Surveillance Bill should help to combat this form of crime and I am calling on the Minister to proceed with its introduction as a matter of urgency.

"The Gardaí are also at a disadvantage in respect of their equipment. They are still dependent on hopelessly unreliable and outdated analogue radio despite an upgrade to a digital format having been promised 11 years ago.
It is entirely unsatisfactory that the advantage continues to lie with criminals because of their access to more sophisticated equipment than the Gardaí. This is not a reassuring state of affairs for the public."

Ends