No suitable candidate found for post as deputy to Harris
A NEW Garda deputy commissioner could not be chosen after the selection board decided ‘no candidate was deemed suitable’, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.
The failure to fill the second most senior post in An Garda Síochána will come as a fresh embarrassment to Commissioner Drew Harris – it is the second time during his tenure that a number two could not be appointed following an interview process.
It also comes as current Deputy Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon, who stayed on in her role late last year to facilitate a candidate being chosen, is due to retire within weeks.
A Policing Authority spokesman this week confirmed that ‘no candidate was deemed suitable’.
In a statement to the MoS, the watchdog said: ‘The Public Appointments Service (PAS) has provided the authority with its final report from the deputy commissioner selection competition and it was considered at the authority meeting on December 19.
‘The selection competition is now concluded and the selection board considered that no candidate was deemed suitable for further consideration for recommendation to the authority,’ it said.
The statement said the authority wrote to Justice Minister Helen McEntee and ‘provided her with a copy of the PAS report’.
It added it is ‘worthy of note’ that this is not the first time a competition to appoint a deputy Garda commissioner has closed without a successful candidate being identified.
The report said: ‘In 2019, a competition for deputy commissioner also closed without a successful candidate being identified. A subsequent competition was held for this role and a successful candidate was nominated by the authority to Government for appointment.’
The position is the secondhighest rank in An Garda Síochána and is of national importance as the deputy commissioner has responsibility for frontline policing encompassing organised, subversive and serious crime including domestic and international terrorism.
The Government was criticised last year after it emerged no serving senior Garda officer had applied for the role of deputy Garda commissioner.
Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa
Chambers has called for a pausein the recruitment process.
Ms Chambers , who is leader ofthe Sean ad , said :‘ Thei death at anexternalcandidate from anotherjurisdiction would be given thejob beggars belief . US and UKsecurity and intelligenceexperts have said theywouldn’ t even contemplatesuch a move in their owncountries, suc hist heimportance of protectingnational security andthe need to have acitizen of the State in that role.’
Last year it emerged that currentassistant Ga rd a commissionersface tax bills of up to€300,000 at present and couldface a bill of up to €500,000 ifappointed to the rank of deputycommissioner .
Finance Ministe rMichaelMcGrath announced he wasreviewing the financial problemsfacing the seniorofficers .The closing date for receipt ofapplications for the post of deputycommissioner was inearly November .The Policing Authority came toits final decision on appointing adeputy commissioner the weekbefore Christmas .
It is thought that applicationsfor the position came mainl yfrom officers serving in UKpoliceservices ,including the PSNI. debbie.mccann@mailonsunday.ie