A new plan for policing will see gardaí wearing body cameras, a new centre to assess terror threats, and the Policing Authority and Garda Síochána Inspectorate being replaced.
The Government has accepted all 157 recommendations from the Commission on the Future of Policing, and has launched a new four-year high level plan for policing.
The Garda Commissioner will act as CEO of the organisation, with powers to appoint senior personnel.
A target of 19,000 people working in the force has also been set for 2021 - encompassing 15,000 gardaí and 4,000 Garda staff.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said new civilian staff will help frontline gardaí.
He explained: "Of the 4,000 that are being recruited as Garda staff, we're not recruiting 4,000 clerical officers.
"We are recruiting 4,000 staff who will support operational policing - and some of them in effect will also be on the frontline in the duties they undertake as well."
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, meanwhile, said that the plans being implemented will change how policing is delivered.
He observed: "The plan places local, frontline policing at the core of our police service.
"It will ensure that gardaí are visible, working in and with our communities, because this is what I believe the public wants."
He added the focus will be on freeing existing gardaí from "administrative and desk duties".
New commission
The plans include a new independent oversight body - with the Government suggesting it will "strengthen the existing policing oversight function of the Policing Authority and the inspection function of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate and have an expanded remit".
Establishing the Policing and Community Oversight Safety Commission is part of the recommendations from The Commission on the Future of Policing.
The recommendations were brought to the Government by Minister Flanagan earlier today.
The commission made a number of recommendations aimed at freeing more gardaí up for front line duties.
They included gardaí not being required to serve court summonses or attend inquests, and that a redundancy package should be offered to members of the force.
A Strategic Threat Anlysis Centre is also to be established to analyse intelligence and threats to State security.
Sunday Times journalist John Mooney told Newstalk Breakfast this is the latest attempt at reforms.
On the Policing Authority, he said: "In many ways what's happening is just another re-hash of various things by the Government, and particularly by Fine Gael.
"It is a very young organisation but it got off to a very bad start.
"But if you look at the last maybe 10 years in this country, sort of specifically Fine Gael's handing of security and crime issues, it has been very, very poor.
"And we've seen I suppose these measures where new plans have been introduced every couple of years, and they haven't really seemed to work.
"I think this may be an attempt of genuine reform of the guards - but the Policing Authority was introduced by Frances Fitzgerald maybe two or three years ago (and) it's now being disbanded and being superseded by something else.
"So it really does remain to be seen whether this will work at all".
The Policing Authority was established in 2015 as an independent body to oversee the performance of the Garda Síochána.
Its key objective is "to promote trust and confidence in policing and to help shape policing services for Ireland in the future."
The chairperson of the authority, former Revenue chief Josephine Feehily, was nominated by the Government following a process carried out by the Public Appointments Service.
Additional reporting: Sean Defoe
