Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar said he would meet Garda (Irish police) Commissioner Drew Harris next week to discuss measures to tackle street crime.
Mr Varadkar told reporters on Tuesday that many people felt Irish cities deteriorated during the Covid pandemic and had yet to return to the level of safety they once had.
“We have to fix that because its a basic entitlement that people should feel safe walking at night in our towns and cities,” he said.
“It does mean more gardaí and a more visible presence of gardaí on our streets.”
There is currently a plan to hire 1,000 new police officers to the force, however Mr Varadkar admitted it was “going to be difficult” to reach this target.
He said suggestions for easing police recruitment, including allowing people over the age of 35 to apply, would form part of his meeting with Mr Harris.