Fine Gael has offered support for any new Government measures to crack down on gangland crime.
The party's justice spokesman, Mr John Deasy, today condemned the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell's approach to the problem but said new initiatives devised in consultation with the community, gardaí and other political parties would receive his backing.
Mr Deasy criticised the Minister for attempting to tackle gang-related crime with his "intellect" rather than listening "to the people who care about and have a stake in winning the battle against crime".
The Fine Gael spokesman said Minister McDowell's "vanity has driven him to ignore or ridicule the contributions of the professionals, the public and the politicians".
He said the collapse yesterday of the trial of Mr Liam Keane, accused of a gangland murder in Limerick in 2001, should serve as the Minster's "final wake-up call".
Following yesterday's sensational events - just two weeks after a gangland murder trial was moved from Limerick to Dublin over concerns for witness safety - Minister McDowell said he would review judicial and police resourcing.
Mr Deasy said today: "Fine Gael will support the Minister in any measures that will help reverse this losing trend in the fight against crime . . . the State's Criminal Justice system has been seriously undermined and it is time for the State to respond.
Meanwhile, the Limerick representative of the Garda Representative Association warned that regular police work in the city was being compromised by the prevalence of gang activity in the city.
Mr Paul Brown said: "The vast majority of Garda resources are being put into the investigations of these murders. It is putting huge pressures on the policing needs of the rest of the community."
Additional reporting PA