The Taoiseach stressed the importance of policing as an issue in the Northern peace process. "It is a key issue, to make sure we have an acceptable police service for the future which everyone can respect, look up to, support and join," he said.
"It is not easy to achieve, but that is a goal. Perhaps we will not change everything overnight, but it is important, moving on from the Good Friday agreement, Patten, the legislation and the implementation plan, to get everyone to help develop this into the future."
Mr Ahern was answering Dail questions before leaving for London and his meeting with the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair.
Mr Austin Currie (FG, Dublin West) said there would be no lasting solution to the Northern Ireland problem unless there was an acceptable police force which young nationalists and republicans could join.
He added that the SDLP, in particular, was being painted as obdurate and intransigent.
Replying to the Labour deputy leader, Mr Brendan Howlin, the Taoiseach said the SDLP had been involved with the Chief Constable and the change-management team to try to resolve the key outstanding issues for the party, such as the Special Branch, the police reserve and the closure of Gough Barracks.
Mr Ahern added that he was only too well aware of the serious allegations which had been reported over the past number of months regarding collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and the security forces.
The Fine Gael spokesman on Northern Ireland, Mr Brian Hayes, asked the Taoiseach to comment on "the incident earlier this week in Mitchelstown involving an IRA outfit which was armed to the teeth with baseball bats and other paramilitary weapons."
Mr Ahern replied that the incident was of great concern. "The position of the Government relating to these subversive activities is very clear and unambiguous, and there is no harm, at the start of the Dail year, in me saying that.
"It could not be otherwise, and I have consistently and trenchantly condemned all subversive activity."
Mr Hayes said the "act of paramilitarism" in Mitchelstown severely questioned the commitment of the republican movement to exclusive peaceful methods, undermined the Mitchell principles and repudiated the Belfast Agreement.