The Minister for Justice has committed an addition €2 million for special garda operations between now and the end of the year to tackle criminal gangs in Irish cities.
Speaking in the Dail this afternoon, Mr McDowell said he viewed events over the last 24 four hours in which the trial of a man accused of murder collapsed with "the utmost gravity" and that he would be looking at the possibility of changes in the criminal justice system.
"I have been in close consultation with the Garda Commisssioner and the Attorney General during the last 24 hours and have briefed the Government at length on these events and on their implications," Mr McDowell said.
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"We in this House should send out a clear message today: no-one is beyond the reach of the law and whatever has to be done to bring offenders to justice will be done," he said.
However, Mr McDowell said he did not wish to go into any details on the case in question as further criminal proceedings in the case could not be ruled out and he did not wish to compromise those proceedings.
However he said there remains a "very real likelihood" of further criminal proceedings in relation to the person who was being tried. Secondly, other criminal proceedings may very well arise in relation to other persons.
He added that he was determined to curtail gang violence and that it would be foolish for anyone to think that they could give two fingers to the justice system and get away with it.
Mr McDowell's comments follow the collapse of the trial of Mr Liam Keane (19), of Ballysimon, Co Limerick, who was accused of the murder of Mr Eric Leamy (19) in Limerick in August 2001.
The trail collapsed after six witnesses who had previously given statements to the Gardai retracted them.
Mr Justice Carney, who was hearing the trial, said he had never before encountered the likes of what happened in the trial, and he directed that the transcript of this and an earlier, related trial be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.