Fianna Fail TD for Dublin Northwest says Sinn Féin will be abstaining on the fight against gangland crime if they choose to abstain on a vote to extend the tenure of the Special Criminal Court in the Dáil on Wednesday night.
The TD for Dublin North West said: "If Sinn Fein chooses to abstain on Wednesday nights Dáil vote on extending the Special Criminal Court, they are sending a clear message that they are abstaining on the fight against gangland crime.
“The Special Criminal Court and The Offences Against the State Act has been an important feature in our fight against gangland terror and organised crime.
“These trials can attract higher levels of jury and witness intimidation, which can lead to reluctance by people to serve on juries in such cases.
“Statistics have shown that there have been nearly 30 convictions for organised crime-related offences in the Special Criminal Court since 2019, and subsequently the number of ‘threat to life’ interventions, where Gardaí intercept planned gangland hits, has reduced from 13 in 2019 to just 1 in 2021.
“Sinn Féin abstained on the renewal of the Special Criminal Court last year and staged a pantomime walk out of the Dáil chamber.
“If Sinn Féin again abstains on the Special Criminal Court they’re sending a light touch message to gangland criminals, which is especially worrying given the deteriorating situation within gangland feuds in Dublin.”
