Fine Gael is to call for a six-month Garda crackdown on the use of knives and other weapons, claiming the country's murder rate has risen to levels "not seen since the Civil War".
Charlie Flanagan
Speaking in advance of the party's Private Members' motion on crime in the Dáil this evening, the party's justice spokesman, Charlie Flanagan, said he will highlight Brian Lenihan's "abject failure" to address the surge in serious violent crime, gangland criminals and antisocial behaviour.
He will also call on the Government to reverse its decision to wind down Operation Anvil, which was set up to target gangs in the Dublin region and other areas around the State, most notably in Limerick city.
He said the murders of Polish men Pavel Kalite and Marius Szwajkos in Drimnagh "must serve as a watershed".
"Violent crime now represents a fundamental threat to the safety of our communities. Knife crime has risen by 300 per cent in four years," he said.
"A new generation of gangland criminals and violent thugs, fuelled by drink and drugs, has lost any respect for life, law and order," he added.
Mr Flanagan claims a six-month targeted operation to tackle the proliferation of knives, swords and other weapons as well as a review on their availability is needed.
He said the decision to scale down Operation Anvil "beggared belief" and called on Mr Lenihan to reinstate community gardaí in the worst-affected areas of the country.