MINISTER FOR Justice Brian Lenihan has rejected calls for mediation in the Limerick gangland feud, saying such an approach would give legitimacy to criminal gangs.
"We're dealing with a group of people whose range of depravity is very deep indeed," he said.
His comments came after a prominent Limerick solicitor, John Devane, who has represented many gangland figures in the city, revealed he had made recent efforts to calm tensions and would be willing to act as a mediator in any efforts to broker peace.
However, Mr Lenihan said the authorities must continue to directly confront those responsible. "One of the great difficulties with mediation is that you recognise the legitimacy of these people and I don't believe they should have any legitimacy," he said. "I think we have to engage in a relentless fight against them."
His comments followed similar statements by Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea. Speaking to The Irish Times after the two murders at the weekend, Mr O'Dea, a local TD, said he had decided not to act on a recent request to mediate. People he had consulted on the issue believed the gangs should be "taken on".
Mr Lenihan said the gardaí in Limerick have his full confidence and support. "If the gardaí want further powers to deal with [ the gangs] I'll certainly look at what can be done. At present the gardaí are satisfied they're putting pressure on these people. And that's how it should be done."
Local gardaí were "highly competent" and had a "good handle" on those involved. "The gardaí are doing everything in their power to deal with these individuals."
The Irish Timeshas learned that a third man narrowly escaped being shot in Limerick last week after a gun that was pointed at him jammed when the trigger was pulled.
The incident is believed to have been carried out by members of the McCarthy-Dundon gang. It is understood gardaí recently managed to broker a peace agreement between two families. However, the McCarthy-Dundon gang was intent on reigniting that feud in an effort to divert Garda resources away from their criminal activities.
The gang sent one of its members to shoot a member of one of the gangs who had recently agreed a truce. The McCarthy-Dundons believed the other gang in the truce deal would be blamed and the feud would start again.
The intended victim managed to escape when the gun jammed and told a senior member of the McCarthy-Dundon gang that he knew he had ordered the shooting.
The McCarthy-Dundon gang member pleaded innocence, saying that while his gun had been used by the attacker the shooting had not been sanctioned.
In an effort to defuse the situation he offered to shoot the two men involved. One of these was James Cronin, the 20-year-old whose body was later found in a shallow grave. The other man got to safety before he could be shot.
In the meantime another man, Mark Moloney (40), was shot dead in the Garryowen area on Saturday afternoon. An 18-year-old man, Stephen O'Sullivan, from O'Malley Park in Limerick, appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court on Tuesday night charged with Mr Moloney's murder.
The teenager was remanded in custody to Limerick Prison but was moved yesterday to the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise after spending a night in an isolation area of the Limerick jail.