Department of Justice officials are drawing up legislation, under the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, making participation in international organised crime a new offence. This would apply to criminals involved in drug smuggling or illegally importing immigrants.
About 10 gangs in Dublin are believed to be importing drugs, and three are based in Cork and the Border area.
UN members signed the convention and two protocols to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and smuggling of migrants by land, sea and air. The signing was in Palermo, Sicily, to pay homage to Italian judges and police officers the Mafia has murdered.
Addressing more than 100 justice ministers and heads of state, the Minister, Mr O'Donoghue, said it was very appropriate that the convention was being signed in Sicily, the home of Judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who gave their lives in the fight against organised crime.
The convention aims to promote international co-operation to prevent and combat transnational organised crime more effectively. It provides for the criminalisation of participation in an organised crime group, the laundering of the proceeds of crime, corruption by public officials and obstruction of justice.
The purpose of the protocols is to prevent and combat the smuggling of migrants and human trafficking, while protecting and helping the victims of such trafficking. Mr O'Donoghue said the fight against organised crime has been a major priority for him.
Irish Government policy has been acknowledged internationally for its committed and innovative approach, with measures such as the Proceeds of Crime Act, which the Minister introduced while in opposition, and the Criminal Assets Bureau being recognised as models for other states.
Last week the British government announced it intends to introduce a criminal assets seizure bureau and proceeds of crime legislation, based closely on the Irish model.