Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has called on the garda representative bodies to remain in the talks on extending the Croke Park Agreement.
Last week, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors walked out of the negotiations, saying it could not accept the level of payroll reductions being sought.
The Garda Representative Association executive is meeting at present to decide its position on the talks.
It is considering a number of proposed cost-cutting measures and changes to working practices, including cuts to some allowances, overtime and increments as well as extra working hours.
The Government is seeking to generate savings of €1bn on its pay and pensions bill over the next three years.
Mr Shatter today appealed to the AGSI to reconsider its position, and urged the GRA to remain within the process.
He said the way to influence the outcome of the discussions was by engaging and that he hoped constructive engagement could and would take place.
He said that he could not predict the outcome, but he did not think that simply leaving talks and not engaging could constructively contribute.
He declined to comment on the possibility of industrial action or another "blue flu" by gardaí.
On the reported threats of another "blue flu", Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he sincerely hoped An Garda Síochána recognised that the Government appreciated the fundamental role it plays in society.
The Government will not be found wanting in the provision of facilities for the gardaí to do their job, he added.
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said he has no knowledge of "blue flu" or work-to-rule by gardaí.
Commissioner Callinan said he would not support industrial action and declined to comment on the prospect of pay cuts or allowances.
Shatter rules out station closure U-turn
Asked about yesterday's protest about the closure of Stepaside Garda Station and the prospect of a U-turn on the decision, Mr Shatter said it was regrettable that some public representatives were fuelling fears for their own electoral benefit.
He said he was not going to second-guess station closures that were based on a detailed analysis by the Garda Commissioner and that he was not relying on the opinions of retired members, or those who were opposed to change, he said.
The closures would produce what he called enhanced policing - with an additional 61,000 patrol hours this year.
When people with an emergency rang 999, he said, the most important garda was not the garda in the station, but the one in the patrol car who could access their home and address the difficulty.
The minister said additional investment in upgrading the garda fleet would ensure more gardaí were available for frontline services.
He said it was untrue to suggest that a garda station open for three hours a day was a deterrent to crime - citing events in Oldcastle last week which had taken place with a garda station just two doors away.
Mr Shatter also denied that he made comments about station closures attributed to him by Labour Senator John Whelan in an article last Friday.
He also said that the Department of Justice had found absolutely no record of any lobbying by Senator Whelan on the issue of station closures.
He said the comments had been wrongly cited as a "quotation of the week", implying that he would make such a comment in a week when a brave member of the gardaí had died, and in a week when the stations actually closed.
He called on Senator Whelan to withdraw the allegations.
Mr Shatter said he was receiving regular briefings on the investigation into the killing of Garda Adrian Donohoe, and that various leads were being followed.
He reiterated his determination that the individuals involved would be brought to justice.
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