Tear gas and pepper spray for Gardaí
Minister McDowell said he felt the devices, currently in use in a number of EU countries, should also be available to gardaí.
"Any resources that are necessary for their purchase will be made available," he said, adding that gardaí have already concluded a "process of evaluating the use of CS gas-type canisters and pepper spray aerosol devices".
The minister was speaking after a meeting with gardaí, private security firms and banking representatives in Dublin yesterday, in the wake of two attempted security van robberies on Thursday.
Minister McDowell said security companies involved in transporting cash for banks would have to be licensed as early as this October, as the voluntary code agreed for the industry last year was not working.
Minister McDowell said it was his "strong view" that during this week's attempted robberies there had been "very serious lapses from the standards which were envisaged by that agreement".
Minister McDowell said he believed the Private Security Authority would be in a position to introduce licensing by October.
He also criticised the industry for not investing in simple protective measures.
"It's a fairly obvious thing that containers in safes could be used, which would have the effect of destroying the money under transportation if there was a major incident," he said.
The banks also received a slap on the wrist for using substandard security companies.
"[The banks] realise they have a direct responsibility in setting the standards by refusing to take services from a company that doesn't adhere to those standards," said Mr McDowell.
The minister also promised to raise with Transport Minister Michael McDowell at the earliest opportunity security companies request to use bus lanes and park on double yellow lines.
Meanwhile, after Children's Ombudsman Emily Logan criticised the Government's proposal for Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs), Mr McDowell insisted the proposal was fair.
Ms Logan voiced her opposition to ASBOs yesterday, saying they would introduce children to the criminal justice system by giving them a criminal record if they breached an order.
Rejecting that view, Tánaiste Mary Harney yesterday said children as young as 10 or 11 were causing great difficulties to older people, lone parents and others in areas like her own constituency of Dublin Mid-West.
