The creation of a DNA database and allowing the Garda detain suspects for longer are among measures in new draft legislation drawn up by the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell.
Among other measures being proposed are district court powers to issue search warrants, powers for senior gardaí to issue search warrants and longer sentences for obstructing or not co-operating with inquiries.
Mr McDowell plans to publish the outline of the legislation by the end of this month or early next month.
The move was agreed by the Cabinet recently and comes in the wake of an upsurge in gang activities that has seen at least two people killed in the past 48 hours and about a dozen other murders since the start of the year.
Labour spokesman for Justice Mr Joe Costello believes the murders, which have been largely confined to those involved in criminal activities, could spread to the rest of the community.
"If the crime barons believe that they can get away with ordering the murder of associates or rivals, without any real fear of prosecution or conviction - and that is the case at the moment - it will be only a matter of time before they turn their guns on others," he said.
Gangland activities fell dramatically in the wake of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin in 1996, and a number of criminals involved in drug dealing at the time are now in jail.
But Mr Costello said yesterday: "The Fianna Fail/PD government has allowed a new generation of crime bosses to emerge that is every bit as brutal and ruthless".