Minister for Justice Michael McDowell is to host a crisis meeting tomorrow to discuss how security can be tightened up in light of this morning's raid on a Brinks Allied security van.
Mr McDowell will meet with representatives of the security industry, the main banks, the Private Security Authority and the Garda Commissioner at the Department of Justice tomorrow afternoon.
Following this morning's raid Mr McDowell blamed the robbery on a "procedural lapse" after it was revealed the crew had stopped the van at a petrol station to get coffee.
"While it is extremely early in the investigation, the Minister feels that the security industry has let down the wider community through an apparent procedural lapse which has enabled criminals to realise a significant amount of money," he said in a statement.
The Irish Security Industry Association said in a statement this evening that the security environment in recent months "has worsened considerably with a number of armed attacks on security vans and the taking off hostages".
It said the ISIA was "fully committed" to working with gardaí in defeating this criminal threat. "At the same time, we must consider the safety of our unarmed staff and the public, as we work towards the best possible solutions. Our members companies involved will continue to introduce new security systems and measures as part of the overall strategy of defeating this criminal threat."
Meanwhile Siptu has rejected the suggestion this morning's raid was caused by a lapse on the part of the crew involved.
Secretary of the security services branch of the union, Kevin McMahon said Mr McDowell should have "waited to meet representatives of the industry and the union who have been requesting a meeting since January 13th over our concerns regarding the spate of attacks, before he made his comments."
Mr McMahon told ireland.comthat the union had not received any communication about tomorrow's meeting. He agreed if there had been failings, security companies should be brought to public account, but called the Minister's comments "one-sided".
He told RTÉ Radio's News at Onethe recent spate of security van raids was continuing because the Government had failed to give the Garda the necessary resources to put the gangs out of business.
He said there was an armed escort detailed to accompany the van, which was carrying more than €2.5 million to banks outside the capital, but it was not in place when the van left its base in Clonshaugh in north Dublin.
"This particular transaction of cash would regularly have a Garda/Army escort and that particular escort was not at the Clonshaugh base when that crew left," Mr McMahon said.
The Garda Press Office has subsequently said the van was due to meet up with a Garda/Army escort at a city centre location and was not scheduled to be under escort when it was robbed.
Labour Party spokesman on justice Joe Costello said the robbery raised serious questions for Mr McDowell, who "cannot be allowed to walk away from his own central responsibility for the serious lapses" that have allowed the robberies to take place.
"He is responsible for ensuring that the gardaí have sufficient personnel and resources to fight crime gangs," Mr Costello said. "Minister McDowell needs to state exactly what he intends to do to combat this resurgence in armed robberies and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice."
Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe said the robbery was "further proof that armed gangs represent a serious threat to the security of the State".
He added: "While the security industry has responsibility in relation to the safe delivery of monies, the overall responsibility for State Security rests with the Minister for Justice."