The Minister for Justice has described any suggestion that Garda policy is decided by its representative associations as being out of place and out of line.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Irelandprogramme, Mr McDowell responded to comments by the general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), Mr George Maybury.
The Minister believed that Mr Maybury suggested that the AGSI decides policy or decides allocation issues.
"That is not the case . . . the decision in relation to the deployment of Garda resources or whether points come in or out or whether Seamus Brennan's initiatives are supported or not is not one for George Maybury or his members or his president to make, it's one for the Minister, it's one for the Commissioner," said Mr McDowell.
Yesterday the AGSI said they were unwilling to participate in the full roll-out of the penalty points system for drivers until a computerised network was in place. Such a system, they say, would make endorsing licences less cumbersome.
It is believed serious industrial unrest within the force may now be inevitable unless the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, backs down on his intention to introduce the full system before the computerised network is in place.
This will come as a blow to Mr Brennan, who was planning to announce an extension to the penalty points scheme today.
Mr McDowell said today that the delays in implementing the computerised penalty points system were outside the personal capacity of himself and Mr Brennan.