Fine Gael has pledged to undermine the growing power of organised crime through the introduction of a statutory scheme to persuade hardened criminals to inform on their gangland masterminds, while protecting crucial witnesses from intimidation.
"Gangland criminals have grown ever stronger since Michael McDowell took over as justice minister, and have extended their drug networks into every parish in the country," said Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe who published a party policy document on the issue yesterday.
"It is crucial that witnesses with vital information on gangland criminals are protected from the growing problem of witness intimidation. Yet the witness protection scheme set up in 1997 is falling into disuse," he said.
Mr O'Keeffe said Fine Gael was determined to attack gangland crime from "the inside out" by actively encouraging criminals to inform on their partners in crime. He also said innocent witnesses should be able to report criminal activity to the State without fear of reprisal or intimidation.
"With the rising prevalence of hardened career criminals using the intimidation of witnesses as a key weapon in their armoury, the current witness protection scheme instils little if any confidence in potential witnesses that their safety will be protected.
"In government, Fine Gael will move immediately to put the witness protection programme on a statutory footing. This will extend State protection to witnesses, whether they are innocent bystanders, family members, or friends of criminals. But it will also actively encourage hardened criminals to inform on gangland masterminds," he said.
Mr O'Keeffe said this would not involve an amnesty for criminals. "Every case will be decided on its own merits, and there will be no automatic guarantee of monetary reward, or that charges will be dropped. But what Fine Gael wants is a new system which will actively subvert the growing threat from organised crime, undermining it from the inside." He said that in government, Fine Gael would:
l Set the witness protection programme on a statutory footing by publishing specific legislation.
l Set up a witness protection unit headed up by specially trained gardaí. This would ensure gardaí heading up an investigation would hand over responsibility for witness protection to the unit.
l Launch a witness protection hotline to ensure potential witnesses who fear for their safety will feel secure in coming forward, and can obtain information on the programme confidentially.