The head of the Association of Garda Superintendents says the force needs 800 new recruits a year, to keep up with the required modernisation programme.

The association of top-ranking Gardai is holding its annual conference in Kildare where pay and conditions are on the agenda.

President of the AGS, Noel Cunningham says the the modernisation programme, which they support, needs additional recruitment, over and above the 600 agreed to by the Justice Minister;

"We absolutely welcome the Minister's new policy on recruitment, but we're saying more members need to be going through Templemore on an annual basis."

If you look at just attrition rates, in relation to retirements and in relation to promotions and so on, you need seven or eight hundred at least going through every year, just to match that alone."