Minister for Justice Michael McDowell today briefed the Cabinet on the Garda's strategy on organised crime.
Mr McDowell yesterday held a two-hour meeting with Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy and Deputy Commissioner for Operations Fachtna Murphy to discuss current developments and the action being taken by the Garda to tackle gang activity.
Mr Conroy briefed the Minister on the investigations into the 29 murders that have taken place in the current year, of which 13 have involved a firearm.
The meeting followed the latest violent death in Dublin. James Purdue (22) was shot dead in Coolock early yesterday morning in what was the fifth murder in the capital involving firearms this year. But gardaí have yet to establish a motive for the murder.
Mr McDowell said the commissioner had assured him that resources were not the problem. Mr Conroy has said the campaign against those suspected of involvement in organised crime will intensify in the coming weeks.
In the Dail, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern told Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny that the fight against crime "is an ongoing battle".
"They [gardaí] have the people, they have the legislation and it's only a matter of time before they break into the gangs," said the Taoiseach.
He added that €11 million extra had been given to gardaí to help fund operation Anvil, which is aimed at tackling armed criminal gangs.
The Minister also plans to brief the Oireachtas Committee on Justice on his plans for a new Garda Reserve today.
He is expected to outline the draft regulations for the force, which include minimum fitness and educational requirements that are the same as those for full members of the Garda force.
The draft regulations stipulate a "five phase" training programme, including 40 hours of practical experience on patrol and in a Garda station, with the final phase being a graduation ceremony.
Members of the reserve will have powers of arrest, which will be confined in normal circumstances to road traffic, public order, theft and fraud offences.
Publicans, bookmakers, court officers, prison officers and people with full-time jobs likely to pose a "conflict of interest" with Garda duties are barred from the reserve.
Mr McDowell is to be accompanied by Darrell La Fosse, an assistant commissioner in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Simon Taylor, deputy chief constable with Norfolk Constabulary - both of whom have experience in overseeing police reservists.
According to a Department of Justice statement, the commissioner advised the Minister that "20 of these have already been solved and files have either been sent to the DPP or are being prepared to be sent to the DPP. In relation to the other nine murders the commissioner updated the Minister on ongoing investigations".