Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has condemned an assault on a US tourist in Dublin city centre last night as "brutal".
The 57-year-old man was attacked, kicked and beaten by a group of youths on Store Street at around 10.40pm.
Gardaí believe the man's injuries are life-changing.
He had just left the guesthouse he was staying in on Talbot Street when the attack took place.
Gardaí and emergency services were called to the scene and the man was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he remains in intensive care.
He sustained severe head and facial injuries during the attack and it is believed he was kicked in the head a number of times.
It is understood the victim is from Washington DC and is a regular visitor to Ireland.
No arrests have been made.
Gardaí at Store Street are appealing to witnesses who were near the junction of Talbot Street and Store Street between 10.30pm and 11pm or anyone with information to contact them.
They are also looking for camera or mobile phone footage and are gathering CCTV footage from businesses in the area.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Store Street Garda Station on 01-666 8000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
Minister McEntee said the "brutal" attack "must be condemned in the strongest terms".
In a statement, she said: "There can be no excuse for such violence and intimidation and I fully understand the concerns of the local community.
"A tough and firm response will send out the message that we will not tolerate this thuggery on our streets.
"People must have confidence they can safely walk the streets of our capital. I am in regular contact with Commissioner Harris on the issue of Garda visibility," she added.
Ms McEntee appealed to witnesses to come forward and said her "thoughts are with the victim and his family at this time".
The Taoiseach said that Dublin - like any other city - "has a problem with public order offences and violence happens".
But Leo Varadkar said that such incidents are "never acceptable".
Speaking on RTÉ's Six One, Mr Varadkar insisted "there is a strong response from Government, both in terms of stiffer penalties and also in terms of increasing garda resources and court resources."
Independent Councillor Nial Ring said the incident has "appalled everyone in the area".
"The fact that it took place within yards of the busiest garda station in the country, makes it even more disturbing," he said.
Mr Ring said that local public representatives have pointed to the lack of garda resources in the area lately.
"We should not have to wait for incidents like this to have the issue highlighted again," he added.
US Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin also sympathised with the man and his family.
Interim Garda Representative Association General Secretary Ronan Slevin said the number of gardaí has been reducing over the past three years with 800 fewer now than in 2020.
Store Street station has 60 fewer gardaí than it had three years ago and the GRA said the changes to the roster and failure to recruit and retain sufficient numbers of gardaí means the problem will get worse, not just in Dublin but all over the country.
Asked about a reduction in the number of gardaí based at Store Street, the Taoiseach said: "That may well be the case".
However, he said that a new garda station has been opened on O'Connell Street and a station reopened on Fitzgibbon Street.
There were 1,000 fewer gardaí in 2015 than current numbers, Mr Varadkar added, and "the effort this year is to recruit an additional 1,000 guards".
"What people say to me is the thing that reassures them the most is seeing the presence of gardaí on our streets, on patrol and that's what we're going to need to see a lot more of," he added.
Meanwhile, there have long been public concerns about O'Connell Street as violence and anti-social behaviour in the area have also led to Dublin City Council proposing to close off Harbour Court, a laneway linking Abbey Street to Eden Quay, because of drug abuse and prostitution.
It has also been used in films as a location for violent crime.
Green Party Councillor Janet Horner said closing off public space is not the solution to these problems.
