The Garda Commissioner has said more gardaí are needed to police the country and a figure of 18,000 is not unrealistic.
The current strength of the force is 14,090, with garda sergeants and inspectors calling for the number of the force to increase to 18,000.
Drew Harris also told the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) conference in Westport, Co Mayo that he accepts the disciplinary process which leads in some cases to gardaí being suspended for five years is too long.
He said a consultation process around the suspension policy is under way, he was open to their suggestions and said there were "learnings around recent investigations".
He also agreed with the sergeants and inspectors that the placing of the tricolour on the coffin of garda killer Pearse McAuley was "outrageous" and described it as regrettable that the national flag was "abused and disrespected in this way".
He said he recognised the hurt it would represent to the families of Jerry McCabe and Ben O'Sullivan and that it was "beyond our understanding why it was allowed to happen".
The Commissioner met Sergeant John McCabe, the son of late Detective Garda McCabe shot dead by McAuley and three others, who is a delegate at the conference.
The AGSI also welcomed new Fine Gael leader Simon Harris's condemnation of the tricolour on McAuley's coffin.
Commissioner Harris also said he looked forward to feedback from the sergeants and inspectors on body-worn cameras and the investigation management system and that the three-county operating policing model has brought a lot of advantages.
He added there was now a duty officer for every division and gardaí have been able to look at consistency of response in the investigation of serious crimes such as child abuse and coercive control.
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Minister rejects mandatory sentences for garda assaults
Speaking earlier, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she supports calls to increase the strength of the force to 18,000 but rejected mandatory sentences for assaults on gardaí.
She told the conference that she accepted that the abuse and intimidation of gardaí was increasing and that the days of camera phones "being shoved" in their faces has to stop.
However, mandatory sentencing would be "overstepping the mark", the minister said.
Ms McEntee also rejected calls for Government help with accommodation for gardaí whom the AGSI has said are leaving because they cannot find anywhere to live.
She said the focus was on the overall supply of accommodation, not for individual sectors.
On the issue of attacks on politicians, Ms McEntee said they were unfortunately associated with the job, they were on the increase but were not acceptable and should not be tolerated.
She also said she was confident that senior members of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group who are currently in Dubai would face justice, but they were working with the authorities in the United Arab Emirates to put the correct legal structures in place.
Ms McEntee also said she hopes to remain in the job but that would be a matter for the Taoiseach.
Garda Sergeants and Inspectors say they are not happy with the Government’s policing policies in a number of areas, including sentencing, recruitment, retention and accommodation.
They say the vast majority of new garda graduates are sent to Dublin where they cannot afford to rent or buy and must live long distances from work. The AGSI claims some have resigned because of it.
The AGSI is calling on the Government to provide affordable accommodation for gardaí because policing cannot be done remotely.
