Full Garda review forms key part of Government anti-crime package

A FULL review of the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the Garda Siochana is an important component of the £53.9 million anti crime package announced by the Government.

The new Garda Commissioner, to be named this month, will "be obliged" to implement the recommendations of the review. It will be conducted under the Strategic Management Initiative already finalised in most Government Departments and to be completed by the end of this year.

Following its third meeting in five days to draw up proposals to combat crime, the Government also announced last night that an extra 400 gardai would be recruited before the end of the year. An additional 200 civilians would be recruited in the same period to enable gardai to be moved from administrative to operational duties.

A special unit will be set up, headed by a garda, to target suspect assets. It will comprise representatives of the Garda, the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social Welfare.

A new remand prison, capable of holding 400 inmates, will be built on the existing site at Wheatfield, in Dublin. It will cost around £40 million.

The Government nominated Judge Catherine McGuinness and Mr Thomas S. Smyth SC, a planning expert, for appointment by the President, Mrs Robinson, to the High Court. It is "proceeding" with the nomination of nine Circuit Court judges. It will bring forward a new Bill to increase the number of Circuit Court judges from 25 to 27.

Arrangements have also been made for the Central Criminal Court and the Circuit Court to sit. for three additional weeks, starting on September 16th, to alleviate delays in hearing cases.

On law reform measures, the Government approved the combination of constitutional and legislative changes in the bail laws and announced that the bail referendum would be held in November. A further restriction on the right to silence was passed by the Dail yesterday.

The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, is examining the possibility of scheduling drug trafficking offences under the Offences Against the State Act, 1939, to provide a fast track for the hearing of such cases in the Special Criminal Court.

Mrs Owen also promised that Fianna Fail's Organised Crime (Restraint and Disposal of Illicit Asset's Bill, which passed its Second Stage in the Dail last night, could be passed into law when the Dail is recalled on July 25th. The Bill would require substantial amendment to make it workable, she added.

The Minister received Cabinet approval for the recruitment of six extra forensic scientists to speed up criminal investigations in the Forensic Science Laboratory. Ten additional probation officers will be appointed for a new scheme involving intensive supervision of 100 prisoners on early release.

The package bf proposals was presented by the three Coalition party leaders, Mrs Owen and the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, at a press conference last night against the background of a new threat to one of its own members.

Ms Roisin Shortall, the Dublin North West Labour TD heard the sound of seven gunshots in a recorded message on her answering machine in the Dail yesterday morning. She had trenchantly criticised drug pushing in an RTE interview the previous day. She is reported to be receiving Garda protection.

The Taoiseach Mr Bruton, described the development as "a matter of considerable worry".

The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, said that neither he, Ms Shortall nor their parliamentary party would be intimidated by it.