The Garda and the Police Service of Northern Ireland opened a joint conference for the first time yesterday.
The two-day conference, which will become an annual event, was part of the recommendation by the Patten Commission to enhance co-operation between the two forces.
The theme of the conference, at which every rank above chief superintendent is represented, is community commitment and co-operation.
The conference includes an address by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr James Hamilton.
"We are dealing with community safety, disaster planning, road traffic issues, security and crime matters," the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, said yesterday.
Following recent remarks by Northern Ireland politicians over his role at the graduation of the first PSNI recruits tomorrow, the commissioner said he would be at the ceremony as a guest.
"I think it is a historic day really in terms of policing this island.
Whatever my role is, it will be as dictated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland."
Mr Colin Cramphorn, the acting chief constable of the PSNI, said it would be a graduation day modelled on academic graduations rather than traditional police passing-out ceremonies.
Referring to the Omagh bombing investigation, Mr Byrne said the difficulty in achieving convictions was gathering adequate evidence.
"We have plenty of intelligence in relation to this investigation but at the end of the day we must have the evidence to ensure that they can be brought before the court.
"We are working hand in hand in relation to this investigation and have been from the very start."
Mr Cramphorn added that it did not matter in which jurisdiction success in getting convictions was achieved.
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