The Mayor of Limerick, Kevin Kiely, has asked the government to look in to holding a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty in Ireland.
Last year murders in Ireland increased by six percent to 53 murders and two manslaughters. He feels that the reinstatement of capital punishment might help to curb the increasing numbers of murders in the State.
On Monday evening the body of a drug addict, Lee Slattery, was found in a shallow grave. He was shot three times and dumped in the grave.
It is believed that criminals form the north side of Limerick carried out the murder over an unpaid drug debt. The police are investigating.
“Once it has been established beyond reasonable doubt that these people are responsible and have been convicted for carrying out a murderer, the death penalty should be imposed upon them,” said Kiely.
He insisted that Prime Minister Brian Cowen must consider this option if he plans on preventing future murders including those murders not associated with gangland crime. He said that it should apply to any premeditated murder.
“Until such a time that we bring in draconian laws to tackle people who have been involved in murders, the whole situation is going to escalate…Nobody likes to see anybody lose their life, but there has to be a deterrent there. We have to look at some of the US states which have the death penalty. In these states, the level of murder has reduced considerable,” he said.
Last year, High Court former President, Mr Justice Richard Johnson also raised the question as to whether the death penalty should be reintroduced.
The abolition of capital punishment is a condition of EU membership. This exists in a protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights. Ireland is a signatory.
Michael Manning (25) was the last person to be executed in the State. Coincidently it was in Limerick. He was hung in 1954 having murdered, Catherine Cooper, a nurse from Clare.
The death penalty was abolished in Ireland in 1990.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Packie | Nov 17, 2012, 07:54 AM EST
This is interesting, the Prof below is wrong, you could, if you have a degree in one of the social sciences find evidence that in the US Capital punishment does not work, however, if you do a real degree you can read therefore you can find evidence that comparatively, Capital punishment does work, as does the chain gang approach, two strikes and you're out per Clinton works, slapping them on the wrist and treating them like they are the victim of society does not. Spend some time studying the effect of crime and how murder impacts people and not thugs please. I've always been a big fan of Mr. Justice Johnson who also found a woman's claim against Dublin Corporation could not succeed as, she had slipped on a toilet seat so injuring herself, if she succeeded the Corporation could not provide public conviences due to the risk to litigious individuals.
cynicus | Feb 11, 2012, 06:03 PM EST
We can re-introduce the death penalty - but only after we leave the EU. Question: how many murderers who escaped the death penalty went on to murder again? Second Question: How many people were murdered by murderers who escaped the death penalty and went on to murder again? Well, let's hear you, bleeding hearts! "Scores of innocent people have been executed." How many guilty people have been executed? maryosullivan wishes to kill all obese political thugs! Good lassy, mary, and don't give them a trial! Not even an obesity test! Don't make women like mary any more! Pity! (Maybe it's just a 'fat' thing?).
maryosullivan | Oct 01, 2011, 12:12 PM EDT
How about the death penalty for obese political thugs ? Looks like he spends all his time at the trough
seanomelbourne | Aug 07, 2011, 06:47 PM EDT
Over 100 death row inmates in the U.S. have been cleared(dna) of all charges and many more pending.To take this to a logical conclusion Scores of innocent people were executed.Kiely is an idealogical idiot.
sirpeter | Dec 07, 2010, 06:38 PM EST
Just look at him with his hair piece,how can anyone take him serious.
murphy66 | Jun 07, 2010, 03:37 AM EDT
Hang 'em high, KK.
shuvonn | Jun 06, 2010, 07:42 PM EDT
Interesting that one thinks its not productive to kill criminals but people that you term to be *terorists* that you have convicted by labeling and categorizing are fair game to you... that is rather hypocritical
Southernpride | Jun 06, 2010, 12:31 PM EDT
It's not really very productive to kill criminals. However, It's much better to have them on chain gangs building roads and other infracture in Ireland, working 12 hour shifts six days a week. Good for the economy and they will be paying for their own expences to keep them in jail
CrimeProf | Jun 06, 2010, 12:20 PM EDT
Mayor Kiely is very uniformed about deterrence, capital punishment, and the reasons for the decline in the murder rate in the U.S. Space does not permit a complete review of the evidence, but I'll sum up by saying that capital punishment is an expensive policy that fails to deliver any crime control reductions. States without capital punishment have lower homicide rates. Studies have shown that capital punishment is no better or worse as a general deterrent than life in prison. Add in the issue of race, social class,wrongful convictions, etc., and you have a failed policy that is becoming less popular in the U.S. A majority of nations have abolished or abandoned capital punishment for a reason - Ireland is much better off with out this failed policy. I invite Mayor Kiely to become better informed about capital punishment before he speaks in public. Dr. Michael B. Blankenship
ChrisButler9999 | Jun 06, 2010, 12:19 PM EDT
A John Bruton coalition Government falsified the Irish Constitution in 1996 to introduce opinions into Irish Law. Only traitors falsify the Irish Constitution and traitors have no authority. Amendment 21 of the Irish Constitution has never been valid and the death penalty is still valid in Ireland. Irish Courts have been run by traitors so it is unlikely the death penalty will ever happen.