Minister for Justice Michael McDowell insisted last night the Government was not for turning on the prison pay dispute.
Prison officers have voted overwhelmingly to reject a deal which would introduce a system of annualised hours and drastically reduce their overtime earnings.
Mr McDowell said he was prepared to use Gardaí and army personnel to run the prison service if the prison officers went on strike.
"I'm just saying to anyone who is contemplating industrial action, don't underestimate me, I'm not for turning on this issue and it's one that I will not be beaten on," he said.
Mr McDowell is planning to privatise prison escort, permanently close the Curragh prison in Kildare and Spike Island prison in Cork and transfer two open prisons to the control of civilian staff.
The Garda Representative Association, which is holding its annual conference in Tralee today, said it did not want its members to become involved in an inter-union dispute.
"We believe we should not be used or abused in respect of any other trade dispute. We have got no instructions or information," said general secretary PJ Stone.
However, Mr Stone accepted Gardaí would have to take instructions on the issue from the Garda Commissioner.
Mr McDowell said he expected the Gardaí and the Defence Forces to obey orders.
"Members of an Garda Siochána and the Defence Forces have made contingency plans and visited prisons and if it were necessary, which I hope it is not, to deploy them to maintain the security of the state, I have no doubt that as a disciplined force, they would give the state the loyalty they have always done in the past," he said.
He is due to meet with the Prison Officers Association for talks this week.