The outgoing Tánaiste says it is time to take out the 'Godfathers and Godmothers' of gangland crime and put them behind bars.
Joan Burton has been speaking in the Dáil where statements are taking place on crime.
She said those at the top have to be dealt with, suggesting "we need to take a new approach in Ireland to white-collar crime".
She explained that the leaders of criminal gangs feed off "very depressed, very deprived communities", and without a new approach "we're never going to cut down on the problem".
The Dáil statements come amid the ongoing feud between criminal gangs in Dublin, which has claimed at least six lives since the start of the year.
The acting Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has said "whatever resources are necessary" will be used to fight gangland crime in the capital.
