Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy today warned gardai to stop providing information to the media about criminal investigations.
In a hard-hitting speech, he said that leaked information could create difficulties for an investigation and even prejudice any future criminal prosecution.
"I fail to understand how such misguided disclosures can in any way be perceived to benefit An Garda Siochana or the criminal justice system and I would urge all our members to be more circumspect and discreet when dealing with representatives with the media," he said.
At the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) in Kilkenny, Commissioner Conroy said he was amazed at the apparent ease with which the media obtained details on investigations.
He added that it reflected `very poorly' on the professionalism of the force and advised officers to direct reporters to the Garda Press Office instead.
In recent months, there has been intensive media coverage of high-profile garda investigations, such as the hunt for the killer of mother-of-two Rachel O'Reilly.
Last year, Justice Minister Michael McDowell proposed introducing criminal sanctions against gardai who disclose sensitive information to journalists. Although there have been recent cases which collapsed in the wake of prejudicial court reporting, gardai have said privately that ongoing criminal investigations have not been prejudiced by media reporting.
Mr Conroy received a burst of applause from delegates when he referred to recent reports on the criminal justice system. He said they had suggested that the burden of proof on the prosecution was now set so high to be almost unachievable and that the search for truth was being sacrificed in a web of technicalities.
"If that is so, it is a matter for the legislature to restore the balance," he said. He emphasised that gardai had to engage with new ethnic minorities and to be visibly active.
"Not just in passing patrol cars but on foot patrols in our towns and villages where personal contact with the community is maintained and nurtured." Mr Conroy said the fact there were 1,600 drink driving arrests over Christmas suggested there was a level of cultural acceptance of the practice, which is a contributory factor in 25 per cent of all road deaths.
He contrasted this with the total compliance people had shown towards the smoking ban.
"Why has society not shown the same enthusiasm for drink driving legislation, given the consequences that can result from driving a vehicle following the excess consumption of alcohol?"
He said gardai would continue to tackle alcohol-related public disorder problems by strictly enforcing the liquor licencing laws. Earlier, AGSI president Joe Dirwan had raised concerns about threats to gardai who participated in cross-border exchanges with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). He said members would not be participating due to this, and the lack of a satisfactory agreement on pay.
But Mr Conroy said he fully supported the cross-border exchange programme and added that he had raised the issue of safety with the PSNI chief constable Hugh Orde. "I'm satisfied that he or I have no information or intelligence that any of our members would be endangered from serving in Northern Ireland."