The Minister for Justice today said he was horrified and angered by the latest violence in Limerick city in which Kieran Keane was shot dead and another man seriously injured.
Mr McDowell said he met with the Garda Commissioner Mr Pat Byrne and the Deputy Commissioner Mr Noel Conroy to discuss the issue.
Mr Keane (36) was shot dead in the city last night in an attack that seriously injured another man. It is understood the killing is linked the family feuding in Limerick that led to the abduction of the Ryan brothers.
The deceased was shot in the head on a roadside in Drumbana just outside Limerick city with his hands tied behind his back. The other man suffered serious stab wounds.
He told RTE Radio 1 that in response to the situation armed detectives from the Cork area were being deployed to Limerick and officers from the Emergency Response Unit from Dublin have been patrolling in Limerick since early this morning.
The Mnister said he would take every step necessary to re-establish a sense of trust in the Garda and called on everyone in Limerick to uphold the law.
Mr McDowell also rejected criticisms from Opposition parties that the problems stemmed from a lack of resources, specifically a shortage of gardai. He said the situation in Limerick had nothing to do with the number of available officers.
Calling on all sides to stop the cycle of violence, Mr McDowell said there "is no room for bitterness or hatred. There is no room in any Irish society for anyone to go outside the law in response to any sense of grievance they may feel or any sense of vengeance they may want to satisfy."
He also expressed his relief that the Ryan brothers had returned safely.