All criminals involved in gangland murders will be brought to justice, the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell has vowed.
Speaking to journalists at the Garda Sports Centre, Westmanstown, Co Dublin yesterday, Mr McDowell said gangland criminals' "day will come".
He said he was happy with the Garda's performance in tackling organised and gang crime, adding he did not believe deficient Garda resources was an issue in the apparent increase in gang crime.
There have been 32 homicides in the State since the start of the year and about a third of these are thought to be gang-related. Mr McDowell said there were "particular difficulties" when dealing with gang-related crime.
"The resources are there [for the Garda]. I don't believe they are an issue." He said the drugs market was dominated by "cold-blooded people" who would "do anything" to keep a grip on their section of the market.
"They are dealing in death every day. They are handing out drugs every day of the week and they are ruthless people. [They are] a new amoral and totally ruthless generation of young criminals trying to recreate the situation there was before Veronica Guerin was killed," he said.
Their crimes were particularly difficult to bring to court because "you don't get people coming forward, they are terrified to to give evidence. So the issue is not resources. It is this wall of silence".
"It is an issue of good policing and I have huge confidence in An Garda Síochána. These people will be tracked down and brought to the courts and brought to justice."
He said a new raft of Garda competencies, in the forthcoming Garda Powers Bill, would enhance the force's capacity to bring serious crimes to court. These powers would include extending the period of detention Garda may hold a suspect in serious crime investigations to 24 hours, make search warrants easier to obtain in serious crime investigations and new rules governing the preservation of crime scenes.
Mr McDowell was attending the last official engagement of the Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne, before his retirement on Sunday.
Mr Byrne was at the Westmastown Sports Centre to receive a five-year-old registered Irish Draught horse for the Garda Mounted Unit. The horse, named Boru, is the eighth horse to join the force since the unit was established in 1998.
The Commissioner said he was happy the force was in good shape on his retirement and said it stood it good stead with the public.
Describing the problems associated with the force in Donegal, which are the subject of inquiry at the Morris Tribunal, as a "glitch", he said it was "not a major problem and will be dealt with".
"The reputation of the force is determined by the relationship that exists between the public and the force."
Public attitude surveys showed 87 per cent were either satisfied or very satisfied with the Garda. "Overall I feel the reputation of the Garda is very much enhanced over the years," he said.
