Labour leader Pat Rabbitte has criticised the Government over its record on combating gangland crime, claiming people in some communities don't feel safe in their homes or walking the streets.
Mr Rabbitte told the Dail that the Coalition's policies on combating such crime in recent years had failed.
A double drugs-related murder in a quiet cul de sac in south west Dublin on Sunday night brought the total number of gangland killings this year to 18.
Mr Rabbitte said: "When you have what happened in a very quiet part of my constituency in Firhouse, this type of calculated assassination at ten o'clock in the evening, I think people have some idea why people are fearful in their homes.
"The disconnect between the gardai and some of these communities where gangland rule dictates, this disconnect is very severe. "People don't feel safe in their homes or on the streets. People are victims of anti-social behaviour like we've never seen before.
"There is no evidence of policing in whole tracts of my constituency and in whole tracts of urban and rural Ireland.
"Citizens feel helpless in the light of the extraordinary events of every weekend now. He referred to the comments of Limerick's state solicitor who said that trials are collapsing because witnesses who give statements won't support them in the dock.
"Do you admit that your policy to date has been a complete failure and that there is fear on the streets at the level of lawlessness and gangland crime out there now?"
Replying to Mr Rabbitte, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he regretted there had been two more 'savage murders' at the weekend.
He said that he and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell received briefings on the issue again today from the Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy and senior colleagues.
"All the indications are that the offences are part of a vicious feud between two relatively small groups who are struggling to control drug distribution in West Dublin," he said.
"These people deal in death and will kill to protect their patch and recover their debt."
Mr Ahern confirmed that these two gangs were responsible for eight of the estimated 18 gangland murders this year.
Much resources under Operation Anvil has gone into gathering intelligence and mounting surveillance of these highly dangerous gangs, he said.
A total of 18,000 checkpoints under Operation Anvil had resulted in the seizure of several hundred firearms, 2,350 vehicles, 5,000 drug hauls. Officers made seven arrests for murder, 163 arrests for serious robberies and several hundred more for burglary offences, he said.
"It attracts a certain breed of people and the consequences of their disagreements is death and that's how they do their business," he told the Dail.
"There is not much known about these gangs but gardai have to deal with them under the law."