The Taoiseach Mr Ahern today urged Sinn Féin to sign up to Northern Ireland's new policing board.
Mr Ahern said Northern Ireland's Police Board had performed well on a number of difficult issues despite Sinn Féin's boycott.
"I think ultimately if we are to have proper policing with the respect of the community, it's necessary in any society that the community supports the police service," he added.
"We hope that ultimately - I think it will happen, but it will take some time - in next month or April a review will start of the Police Service Bill and the legislation.
"That's meant to take about six months and the other side of that, it is hoped that there could be some amending legislation.
"Somewhere around that, I hope that Sinn Féin would take the opportunity to come in, because I do think ultimately it is vital that everyone representing nationalist and republican, loyalist and unionist are part of the police service.
"So far the board has performed very, very well and people would be very satisfied with the progress they have made on some very, very difficult issues in the last month or so," Mr Ahern said.
Sinn Féin has refused to take its place on the 19-member board, to which the new Police Service of Northern Ireland is accountable, because, it says, police reforms do not go far enough.
But the nationalist rival SDLP has taken its seats - and has encouraged members of the community to join the police. Sinn Féin's two seats on the board were allocated instead to the Ulster Unionists and the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists.
PA