The Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan has said she would be concerned about any industrial action that could affect policing, and encouraged all parties to engage in discussions to resolve the outstanding issues.
Yesterday the Garda Representative Association voted to take industrial action on four dates in November following the rejection of pay proposals with the Department of Justice last week.
Speaking in Dublin Castle, the commissioner said: "I would obviously be concerned of anything that would cause any disruption to policing, but what I would encourage everybody to do is to remain engaged in the mechanisms that are there.
"I am very confident that those mechanisms will achieve the best outcomes for everybody."
The Chairperson of the Policing Authority said they would be keeping a watching brief on the situation.
Josephine Feehily said they hope the strike does not go ahead and that she is conscious not to say anything that could inflame the situation, but she said if it does she will want to know from Commissioner O'Sullivan what contingency plans are to be put in place for policing the country.
She said: "… we will want to understand if the industrial action is proceeding, what contingency plans might be put in place.
"I noted yesterday or this morning that the GRA representative talked about emergency services being provided. We will be anxious to understand what does that mean."
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New regional garda units to tackle abuse planned
Earlier, Ms O’Sullivan said new garda units are to be set up in regional areas by the end of the year to investigate sexual offences and domestic abuse.
The Garda Commissioner told the Policing Authority that the new Regional Protective Services Units will ensure that such inquiries are conducted in a professional and consistent manner all over the country.
She also said a new Risk Management Process was being put in place to protect victims of domestic abuse.
The commissioner also said that gardaí were addressing the problems with the crime statistics in relation to the misclassification and non-recording of reported crime.
She said an automated crime-recording system was being introduced and more civilian staff would be involved in logging crime reports.
The commissioner outlined the progress she said had been made in tackling serious and organised crime.
She said in the past 18 months the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau had seized €36m worth of drugs, €1.9m in cash, 35 guns - including AK47 assault rifles - and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
177 people had been charged.
The commissioner was addressing the Policing Authority at its public hearing in Dublin Castle today.
Authority hears eight people in total killed in Hutch-Kinahan feud
Gardaí said six people have been shot dead in Ireland as part of the ongoing feud between the Hutch and Kinahan gangs, bringing to eight the total number killed in Ireland and Spain.
Another 12 lives have been saved through garda interventions, gardaí say.
Assistant Commissioner Jack Nolan told the policing authority this afternoon that the feud escalated dramatically following the murder at the Regency Hotel last February.
However, he said eight people have been charged in connection with the feud and are before the courts, 19 firearms have been seized and 8,000 lines of inquiry are being pursued.
Of the 12 murders committed so far this year, nine are related to organised crime, six to to the feud, he said.
Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan said there were 12 incidents where gardaí had prevented murders, seized guns and intercepted individuals they believed were going to carry out "assassinations".
He also said that some crime gangs have been disrupted, others dismantled and their activities have been damaged through arrests, and seizures of cars and significant quantities of cash and weapons.
Mr O'Sullivan said there was an international dimension to the feud but information and intelligence was being shared with police services abroad.
Gardaí questioned on abuse case
The Policing Authority also questioned An Garda Síochána about its failure to prosecute a case of child sexual abuse.
The force was criticised by the Ombudsman for its failings in a case where two children aged seven and eight were raped but the perpetrator was not prosecuted.
The investigating sergeant was transferred and the case was not reassigned to another officer for more than three years.
The commissioner today accepted this was unacceptable and said while not taking away from the impact on the victims An Garda Síochána had reorganised governance and accountability.
Chief Superintendent Michael Finn said new systems were now in place to address structural failures and ensure accountability where cases would be reassigned if the investigating officer was transferred and no longer "fall through the cracks".
The commissioner said it was important that "ownership and "oversight" were attached but there remains a risk until they have the full complement of garda members they need to do the job.
She added that the Garda National Protective Services Bureau is also liasing with Tusla and other child protection agencies.
