Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has accused the Garda Representative Association of denigrating the role of the Defence Forces.
Yesterday, GRA President Damien McCarthy criticised the fact that the Defence Forces have been permitted to recruit 600 new members while there is a ban on garda recruitment.
Mr McCarthy asked the minister if the country was at war.
Today, Mr Shatter said the two forces are not and never have been in competition with each other.
Speaking at the Association of Garda Superintendents conference, he warned that such comment "should not be repeated."
"There is a very close relationship between the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. In the context of dealing with a number of issues, they work together, in the interests of the State and everyone who lives in the State.
"I would hope that similar remarks won't be repeated in the future." he added.
However, speaking on RTÉ's News at One, the GRA President denied that he had denigrated the Defence Forces in his speech.
"I raised a question: 'are we at war?', and yes we are, in the war on crime." Mr McCarthy said.
He said he and his colleagues have the highest respect for members of the Defence Forces.
Meanwhile, the Garda Commissioner has set up a special garda operation targeting mobile criminal gangs involved in robberies all over the country.
Operation Fiacla has been established in response to the rise in burglaries, which increased nationally by 8% last year but in some areas by over 40%.
Martin Callinan said there have already been arrests and two men are being questioned about 20 burglaries.
The GRA pointed to the increase in burglaries and robberies as evidence of the need for increased resources and garda stations in rural areas.
Burglary increased 8% nationally, regionally by 30% in Sligo-Leitrim, 32% in Laois-Offaly and 40% in Meath.
Much of the increase is due to urban gangs travelling to break into homes and businesses in the country.
Operation Fiacla is being run by an assistant commissioner and involves senior officers from all over the country.
Known criminals and mobile gangs are being put under surveillance and targeted using mobile patrols and armed response units.
