RESIDENTS OF Limerick can expect to see members of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) patrolling troubled parts of the city in the coming days, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy announced yesterday.
The decision comes in the wake of a machine gun attack on six houses in the St Mary's Park area of the city last Tuesday night and an escalation in feud-related violence.
Speaking during a visit to Limerick yesterday, the commissioner said that the response unit would provide back-up to existing armed patrols which have been deployed to crack down on gun crime in the city.
The announcement was made following a meeting at Roxboro Garda station during which the commissioner briefed Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan and Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea about the crime situation in Limerick.
"You can be sure that you'll see the ERU on the streets of Limerick very shortly to deal with the problems that we have here," said Mr Murphy.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Lenihan, who was on a day-long visit to Limerick, compared the situation in the city to a tinderbox that could explode at any minute.
Mr Lenihan also stressed the urgent need to confront the gangs who have "poisoned life" in Limerick.
"The position is like a tinderbox here in Limerick, given the amount of unlawful weaponry out there and it can explode at any minute.
"We are very conscious of that, but I am glad that this increased investment in policemen to date has produced results in Limerick. But we also realise that there are deeper factors and deeper causes and we have to be tough on crime and the causes of crime here in Limerick," Mr Lenihan added.
According to the commissioner, the response unit will be deployed in "known trouble spots" in the city and he said that local Garda management would review their presence.
"I've asked the Emergency Response Unit to come here to Limerick in the next few days to take up duty for a period of time and to augment the armed patrols that are here," said Mr Murphy.
"Policing in Limerick is a two-pronged approach: community policing and also forceful-type policing to deal with the firearms incidents, which as far as I'm concerned are unacceptable," he added.
During his visit to Limerick, Mr Lenihan also met community leaders from the Moyross and Southill areas.
Mr Lenihan said that it was extremely fortunate that nobody was seriously injured or killed when a number of houses were "flayed with machine gun bullets" last Tuesday night in the St Mary's Park area of the city.
Mr Lenihan said that he accepted and recognised the need for a heavy police presence to deal with gun-related crime but also pointed out that 10 per cent of all the firearm seizures in the State last year were seized by the Garda in Limerick.
Mr Lenihan also revealed that he was prepared to examine whether or not there is a need for an extra Circuit Court judge in Limerick and said that it was a "firm ambition" of his to develop a new district court house in the city.