Next Garda Commissioner ‘will not start job before June 2018’

A NEW Garda Commissioner will not be in place before next June at the earliest, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan indicated yesterday.

He added: ‘What is essential is that we ensure the best possible candidate is appointed, whether he or she is a candidate internally or externally from the international stage.’

Nóirín O’Sullivan stood down following sustained pressure in the post six weeks ago, but it will take another several weeks to design the recruitment process and competition. And it will be four to six months after that before the name of an approved candidate can go to the Cabinet, pushing the appointment to the middle of the year – while the force remains rudderless.

‘I would expect that the Government will be in a position to formally approve the Police Authority in its move to invite the Public Appointments Service to conduct the selection process in the coming weeks,’ Mr Flanagan told the Dáil. ‘Once the process is triggered I would anticipate that it will take between four to six months to identify and appoint a successful candidate.’

The Policing Authority now has responsibility for nominating persons for appointment to the post of Garda Commissioner – and this will be the first time the new process is used. Fianna Fáil Justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan said there had been conflicting signals coming from the ‘various entities’ responsible for either nominating or appointing the next Commissioner.

‘The Government sees great merit in competitions being run by the Public Appointments Service,’ he said.

‘In my view they are of questionable benefit, and sometimes competitions do not result in the best and most appropriate candidate.

Mr O’Callaghan added: ‘We need greater selection appraisal than simply running a competition before we appoint the highest police officer in the State.’