The Minister for Justice has restated that the five IRA men convicted of the manslaughter of Det Garda Jerry McCabe in 1996 will not be released early from prison.
Mr O'Donoghue also yesterday announced he was setting up a National Crime Council, made up of a group of experts and community-based groups, to liaise with the Garda and Department of Justice.
He was addressing the Garda Representative Asssociation annual conference in Tralee, where earlier yesterday the association had called on the Government never to introduce early release for people who kill gardai.
Mr O'Donoghue told the conference: "You will be fully aware of the Government's position: that they (the McCabe killers) will not have the benefit of the early release terms contained in the Good Friday agreement.
"This was made clear during the negotiations leading to the agreement. It was also made clear by myself on several occasions in the Dail both when the agreement was being debated and in the debate following the sentencing of those convicted of those crimes.
"I have no hesitation, once again, here this afternoon to repeat that assurance to you, the delegates, at this conference."
Announcing the crime council, an idea first mooted some years ago when the last government set up a public forum to discuss crime, Mr O'Donoghue said: "I regard the establishment of the crime council as an important step in providing a permanent forum for the development, expression and contribution of a wide range of views into the development of anti-crime strategies and polices."
The GRA had earlier asked that no government, now or in future, should consider the early release of prisoners involved in attacks on the force.