"I welcome the progress made by Garda management and the representative associations over the last few days.

"I know everyone shares the same goal of improving Garda visibility, supporting the health and wellbeing of Gardaí, and building and sustaining stronger, safer communities.

"I encourage everyone now to work together in that spirit to negotiate a new roster that collectively best serves members, the organisation as a whole and most importantly the public.

"I am pleased that all parties have reached agreement on an interim roster which will ensure An Garda Síochána can continue to deliver service to the public while simultaneously moving forward on developing a new roster."