Pay-off deal for top cops as policing plan launched
Drew Harris SENIOR gardai are to be offered a severance package in a deal due to be signed off by Cabinet.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan yesterday launched The Policing Service For The Future at Dublin’s Kevin Street station.
Top cops will be offered a pay-off sweetener to send them on their way to early retirement.
As revealed by the Irish Mirror in May, the commissioner recommended a “one-off targeted severance package to support restructuring and reform”.
At the launch, Commissioner Drew Harris insisted it is not a cull of senior officers.
He said: “An Garda Siochana is my team and this is not about workforce change or composition change.
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“The details are yet to be really worked through and no firm proposals have been written down. This is still very early days.”
Among the recommendations is a plan to revamp the entire Garda structure and transform it into a community-based model.
The Cabinet is to also sign off on a plan to disband the Policing Authority and Garda Inspectorate and replace them with a new oversight body.
A new State security unit, the Strategic Threat Analysis Centre, will also be set up to co-ordinate intelligence at central Government level.
Mr Flanagan said details of the severance package were yet to be thrashed out.
He added: “I want to stress it would be limited and very targeted and has been commented upon in the form of a redundancy package. That would not be the case.” ACTRESS Sandra Bullock proves that she can handle the hottest material as she hits the red carpet.
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