Fine Gael has attempted to make the possible release of Det Garda Jerry McCabe's killers a by-election issue by challenging Government candidates to promise to oppose the early release of his killers.
The Fine Gael candidate for North Kildare, Mr Darren Scully, also accused the Government of adopting a soft approach towards criminality in the Provisional movement.
Speaking at a rally for supporters in Naas last night, Mr Scully said: "Over the past 10 years we have allowed the mafia culture, which is so central to the republican movement, to become legitimate".
Congratulating the Garda for the recent arrests and investigation into money-laundering by republicans, Mr Scully said the Government would have to "face down" Sinn Féin and the IRA.
He said that the credibility of the State as a sovereign republic had "gone beyond breaking point because of our weakness in standing up to the Provisional movement.
"The time has gone when official Ireland will look the other way and say nothing; because of a fear of upsetting the peace process.
"Clearly some people think that they are above the law and that money-laundering, racketeering and punishment beatings will be ignored".
He said that the Garda must be allowed to do their job "unfettered by politicians".
Mr Scully criticised the Government for being willing to agree to the early release of the McCabe killers as part of a Northern peace settlement last year.
He told the rally, which was also attended by the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, that the willingness of the Government to release the killers of Det Garda Jerry McCabe was "an affront to decency and democracy in this country".
Pointing to the fact that he was married to a Garda sergeant, Mr Scully said that, if elected, he would vote against any proposal before the Dáil relating to the killers' early release.
"I further call on all other candidates going before the electorate of North Kildare to solemnly promise that if they are elected . . . they, too, will oppose in the Dáil any attempt to secure or authorise the early release of the lawfully convicted Sinn Féin-IRA killers of Det Garda McCabe at any future date, regardless of the circumstances," Mr Scully said.