The Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan has said an investigation is under way into the intimidation and harassment of members of the public and gardaí in person and on social media.
Ms O'Sullivan was speaking at the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors Conference, where she also said she will continue to engage with the AGSI, and rejected claims she has failed to do so.
The Association has also accused the commissioner of ignoring their members concerns.
This is the first AGSI conference Ms O'Sullivan has attended as Garda Commissioner.
However, just four months into the job and the sergeants and inspectors made it clear to her that the honeymoon is over.
They accused the commissioner of ignoring and failing to engage with them and called on for a change of attitude.
They claim the level of training varied in different divisions, gardaí are not being kept abreast of changes in the law and they want assurances that where gardaí are being harassed and intimidated on social media or elsewhere, prosecutions will follow.
But this afternoon the commissioner rejected the criticisms insisting she did not view the associations concerns as a "nuisance".
Ms O’Sullivan said she was very committed to meeting and engaging with sergeants and inspectors.
She confirmed that following water protests, an investigation is under way into the intimidation and harassment of both gardaí and members of the public on social media and in person.
Earlier, the AGSI accused the commissioner of ignoring its concerns about the way the police service is managed and failing to engage constructively with the association.
AGSI General Secretary John Redmond told members this morning that both Ms O’Sullivan and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald have to address the perception that the corporate image of An Garda Síochána is more important than its personnel.
Mr Redmond also said the garda structures, systems and infrastructures are not fit for purpose.
Delegates at the AGSI conference say Ms O’Sullivan promised them constructive engagement but their concerns over health, welfare, resource and policing issues have been ignored.
They complain they cannot get to meet the commissioner when they need to and that for too long they have been "grudgingly tolerated" by garda management.
Mr Redmond said he thought having listened to Ms O’Sullivan at the conference last year, they were about to enter a new era, but he said this has unfortunately proven not to be the case.
During her speech, the Garda Comissioner praised the professionalism and dedication of the investigation team involved in the inquiry into the murder of Elaine O’Hara.
Ms O'Sullivan commended the tenacity of Garda James O'Donoghoe, and the work of Garda Brid Wallace, Det Sgt Alan Browne, and the analyst Sarah Skedd who trawled through horrific footage.
She said the gardaí are planning to employ more analysts.
Ms O'Sullivan also said the case of Ms O’Hara was a good example of the fact that the gardaí were committed never to give up on missing persons, that they will follow every line of investigation.
On the Ian Bailey case, the commissioner said she was conscious the Du Plantier family were bereaved, but it was a matter of great regret that the murder was not solved.
However, she said it remained a live and open investigation.
On the McGinn report, she said she was also very conscious there was a bereaved family at the centre of the case.
She said she hoped the report would bring some comfort to the family.
It appeared the work of the serious crime review team had been vindicated but she said she took no comfort from that.
She said if anyone had any new information on the death of Fr Molloy they could come forward with it, but she said she did not think it was right to hold out hope, 30 years later that new evidence was likely to establish anything new.
