Members of the Gardaí are not being given the manpower to deal with gangland activity and many communities in Dublin do not feel safe, Mary Lou McDonald has said.

The Sinn Fein deputy leader’s comments come after a recent spate of fatal shootings in the capital; two people were killed in Dublin last week alone.

The Kinahan-Hutch criminal feud is the background for most of the killings.

On Friday the acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald met senior members of the force to discuss the issue and the progress of a dedicated armed Garda unit for Dublin.

At the meeting, high ranking officers outlined how armed checkpoints have been mounted in Dublin to disrupt the activities of criminals.

“We need a level of safety in the community because that is not there at the moment. The issue of under-resourcing in the Gardaí needs to be named and resolved,” Mary Lou McDonald said, adding people had a right to feel safe in their communities.