The Irish Human Rights Commission has criticised An Garda Síochána, claiming it does not fully guarantee human rights.
The commission says gardaí are some distance from being fully human rights compliant.
The commission is publishing its annual report today. It says it has a mandate to review the law and its practice to ensure that it is in line with human rights standards.
Commission President Dr Maurice Manning said effective policing and a respect for human rights do not have to clash.
The commission says it has a role to not only monitor policing legislation, but also Garda operational policies and how they are implemented.
Responding to the report the Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, has said An Garda Síochána has done a lot of work on ensuring human rights compliance and will continue to do so.
Mr Conroy said he could see major improvements taking place on an ongoing basis within the force, and the intention was to continue that process.
He said he was pleased that the IHRC was working with the force to make those improvements. The commissioner said the force has no difficulty with fair criticism or positive feedback, which can both help to bring about improvements.
Commission to conduct review on rendition
The IHRC also announced that is has begun a review of whether Ireland is meeting its international obligations on the issue of 'extraordinary' rendition.
Dr Manning said it has ongoing concerns about the diplomatic assurances on extraordinary rendition given to the Government by the US authorities. He said the commission would like to see a proper inspection regime in place.
Responding to the report, the Minister for Justice, Brian Lenihan, said he was happy that the Government's record in this area would stand up to scrutiny.
In relation to immigration issues, the commission says the Government must amend its current policy to remove any legal uncertainty.
The commission is concerned that legislation is not examined in detail and often not discussed by the Houses of the Oireachtas.
It also says that research into the rights of unmarried couples makes a compelling case for the provision of appropriate legal protection.
