The Government is to replace the Policing Authority and the Garda Inspectorate with a new oversight body, as recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing, despite a submission to the contrary from the authority.
A new Strategic Threat Analysis Centre will also be set up to co-ordinate security and intelligence at a central government level.
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan brought the plan to implement the commission's recommendations to Cabinet this morning, which are set to be accepted in full or in principle.
The commission identified what its chairperson called "an urgent need for comprehensive and fundamental change in An Garda Síochána because of critical systemic problems related to culture, structures, accountability and management processes".
The plan to reform policing will take four years and will include new legislation and the establishment of new oversight, investigative and intelligence bodies.
Mr Flanagan said that it is important to build on the high degree of momentum following the publication of the report in September.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, he said that all 157 recommendations in the implementation plan were agreed by Government today, and he hopes they can "get cracking"on the implementation as early as the New Year.
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission will be replaced by a new enhanced investigative commission.
A new statutory board will also take over some of the Policing Authority’s functions, with the power to promote gardaí reverting to the commissioner.
The Policing Authority, which was established three years ago, will remain in place until the new bodies are enshrined in law and established.
The authority, which is responsible for promotions and holding the commissioner to account in public, highlighted the potential risks of such a move to garda oversight and questioned how these changes could serve the public interest and maintain the current level of transparency.
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However, the minister is to press ahead with the changes that will lead to the authority’s abolition.
The plan will focus on what are referred to as "building blocks" or the initial steps to be taken in 2019 as part of overall reform.
A member of the commission said the recommendations in the report only make sense if they are adopted in the whole.
Retired chief constable of Greater Manchester Police Peter Fahy said it is very important that there is increased accountability and transparency at all levels of the force.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said he believed the new oversight body will strengthen oversight of An Garda Síochána, which will ultimately lead to reform and better public service.
The leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin, has called on the Taoiseach to reject the suggestion that the Garda Commissioner be in charge of appointing senior personnel.
Speaking during Leaders' Questions, Mr Howlin said one of the most important reforms of An Garda Siochána in the last ten years has been the removal of the appointment of senior people from the commissioner.
He said prior to its removal some senior gardaí were more loyal to the commissioner than the public.
The Taoiseach said Cabinet accepted 106 of the recommendations in full and 21 in principle, because the latter require further work.
Leo Varadkar pointed out that the new framework will not be in place until January 2021 and will require consideration by the Joint Oireachtas Justice Committee, the Dáil and the Seanad as primary legislation.
He said there was a need "to get it right".
The Taoiseach said it was his understanding that there would be a CEO-type model, which would mean that the commissioner would be answerable to a board.
Additional reporting: Ailbhe Conneely
