Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has stressed that gardaí cannot be allowed to take industrial action.
The Garda Representative Association announced on Thursday that gardaí will take industrial action over the Government's pay and pension levies.
A ballot by the Association found 93% of those polled said gardaí should take some form of industrial action, but not withdraw their services.
But Mr Ahern - speaking at the Centre for Cyber Crime Investigation in Dublin - insisted that any industrial action by members of An Garda Síochána would be a threat to the authority of the State.
