The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has called for dedicated suites to be established away from garda stations for interviewing children and people with intellectual disabilities.
On the final day of their annual conference in Athlone, middle-ranking gardaí also demanded an out-of-hours service for children at risk.
The service was promised last year by both the HSE and the Government but has yet to be established.
Child protection was the main theme today with three motions passed and an excellence award given to a detective sergeant who investigates and prosecutes child sex offenders.
Michael Moran was recognised for his work with Interpol in identifying Internet paedophiles and rescuing children.
Commissioner wants to fill key positions
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy has said he will approach the Government with a view to having key promotions in the force filled despite the current financial situation.
The Commissioner told the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors conference that, while the moratorium on recruitment was an economic reality, he would be making a case with the Government for all promotions in key investigative and supervisory posts filled.
Fachtna Murphy also said that the Garda College in Templemore would be used more for training and redeployment of gardaí throughout the force was now an option.
On the issue of gang-related murders, he said substantial progress had been made in most of the ten such killings this year.
He said he was happy with the investigation into the death of the Co Offaly publican Matt Farrell.
He also said that the fraud squad was investigating suspected financial crime in the banks.
While he did not want the Criminal Assets Bureau to operate outside its remit, CAB is available if necessary to the Assistant Commissioner in charge of that investigation.
A minute's silence was observed at the beginning of the graduation ceremony at the Garda College in Templemore this afternoon in memory of 29-year-old Garda Robert McCallion, who died yesterday.
He had been based in Letterkenny and died from injuries he received while on duty in pursuit of a stolen car last week.
At the beginning of today's graduation ceremony, Commissioner Murphy asked the 263 new garda recruits and their families to remember Garda McCallion.
