The Justice Minister Alan Shatter has said he is very disturbed by the high number of homicides so far this year.
Saturday's fatal shooting of Michael Devoy in Tallaght brings to eight the total of people killed in violent circumstances since the turn of the year.
Alan Shatter says he hopes the deaths do not mark a trend which will continue throughout the year.
He said most of the deaths so far could not have been prevented.
The Minister said: "Any homicide is unacceptable. The majority of homicides that have taken place since the New Year have happened in unusual circumstances.
"The majority of these could never have been prevented by any police force anywhere in the world, no matter how large."