Lots of scope for shake-up at the top

THE new Garda Commissioner will have an opportunity to put her stamp on the force’s top brass with seven chief superintendent, one assistant commissioner and two deputy commissioner posts to be filled.

The vacant chief superintendent posts include Naas, the Garda College, the Garda Technical Bureau, Kilkenny, the Garda National Drugs Unit, and Human Resource management.

Assistant Commissioner Tony Quilter, who is in charge of the force’s southern region, will retire in the new year. At the moment, three of the eight existing assistant commissioners are ‘doubling up’ in their duties because vacancies have not been filled in the past couple of years.

But it is likely that two of those appointments will be permanently shelved while a third, the position of executive director of human resources, will become a civilian post.

The appointment of Noirín O’Sullivan to interim commissioner and now Commissioner left the post of deputy commissioner in charge of operations vacant and the retirement of deputy commissioner Nacie Rice has left the position of strategy and change management empty since last year.

Over the summer 16 senior garda officers were transferred in the first reshuffle since Ms O’Sullivan was appointed acting commissioner.

The changes were authorised by Ms O’Sullivan as she re-organised the force in the wake of the effectively enforced resignation of her predecessor, Martin Callinan.

The vacant post of head of Special Branch will be filled by Det Chief Supt John McMahon, who has been in charge of the National Drugs Unit.

His position will be taken over temporarily by Det Chief Supt John O’Driscoll, who retained his current responsibilities in charge of the National Immigration Unit.