New legislation is being published this lunchtime which will pave the way for a new DNA database - for the first time ever in Ireland.
This new legislation will allow gardaí to take blood, hair or swab samples from suspects as well as prisoners currently serving a sentence for a serious offence.
When the bill becomes law, everyone arrested for a serious offence can be required to give a sample, which may link the person to the offence or to other unsolved crimes.
Civil liberties groups have expressed concern about this database.
But Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said he has taken the privacy of individuals into account and steps will be taken to remove from the database material relating to any person acquitted or not charged with a crime.
"The establishment of a database represents a major step forward in the fight against serious crime," Minister Ahern said in a statement.
"It will give the Gardaí access to intelligence on a scale and of a quality that has never before been available in this country."
"Everyone serving a sentence for a serious offence when this new law comes into force will be required to give a sample for the database," Minister Ahern added.
"This will include people in prison and anyone on temporary release or on suspended sentences, as well as anyone on the sex offenders' register."
"The combination of these two major sources of samples (suspects and convicted persons) will ensure that, within a short time, a significant proportion of the criminal community will have their samples on the database. It is my hope that this fact would, of itself, act as a deterrent for some."
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) said that it will review the Bill carefully.
“There is an entirely legitimate public interest in the creation of a DNA database that makes it easier to catch criminals; however, the sampling, retention and sharing of DNA requires special safeguards to ensure that the private lives of innocent people are protected”. ICCL Director Mark Kelly said.
“The ICCL will review this 143-page Bill in order to establish whether it now strikes the right balance between catching criminals and protecting private life."
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