Ways of tackling gangland crime are being discussed by the Oireachtas Justice Committee this afternoon.
Representatives of the Gardai and the Health Research Board are among those addressing the committee.
They are discussing the effects of gangland crime on communities and ways to prevent it.
A report containing a set of recommendations will be prepared once the committee completes its hearings.
Justice Committee Chairman, David Stanton, said the intimidation of locals "and the fact that people are afraid to report what they know to the gardaí" is also on the agenda.
"This needs multi-facetted approaches. We need to look at why people are getting involved in this, why young people get involved," he said, "[and] at the glamorisation of gangs in the media and elsewhere, we need to look at poverty and deprivation as well in some of our communities, and the need for further training and education - in particular, well-resourced youth services."