The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, has called on the IRA to recommit itself to the decommissioning process.
He was speaking at the Garda Siochana College in Templemore after presenting certificates to 133 graduates.
Mr O'Donoghue said he believed the IRA was serious when it originally agreed to the decommissioning process, and its withdrawal was a mistake. "That does not help the process and I would earnestly hope that they would recommit themselves to decommissioning in order that the entire process can be advanced."
The Minister declined to comment on the arrest of three IRA suspects in Colombia but said he was concerned at reports that Irish citizens might be involved in the training of illegal organisations or terrorists.
"I am satisfied that Sinn Fein are committed to the peace process," he said.
The process was holding firm and he believed there were bona fides on all sides "with a view to implementing the measures contained in the Good Friday agreement".
In his speech to Garda graduates, he said a grant scheme for communities which wanted closed circuit television (CCTV) camera systems would be introduced. It would be up to the communities to install and monitor the systems.
CCTV was currently being introduced in Cork and systems were in use in Dublin and Tralee.
He complimented the Garda for Operation Lifesaver and other road safety enforcement campaigns which "have continued to yield results". The total amount of on-the-spot fines rose from £71,000 in 1997 to £224,000 in 2000. "Over 117,000 on-the-spot fines were issued for seat-belt offences in the period from July, 1999, to the end of June, 2001, and the number of detections for drink driving at 10,433 represents a 24 per cent increase on the 1998 figure."
The Garda air support unit is to get a second helicopter this year which would expand the area of operations and allow for 24-hour availability, the Minister said. He expected to see Garda strength reach 11,850 by the year's end. "We are well on our way to meeting the Government commitment of 12,000 by the year 2002," he said.