The Policing Authority has begun recruiting for a new deputy Garda commissioner, a post which has been vacant for two years.
Applications for the post from outside the Garda, including from non-Irish people, will be considered. However, applicants must have a policing background and have held the rank of assistant commissioner or equivalent.
The successful applicant will become one of the three most senior gardaí in the State along with Commissioner Drew Harris and the other deputy commissioner, John Twomey, who has responsibility for policing and security.
The second deputy commissioner will oversee the areas of performance and governance and will spearhead ongoing efforts to reform the force in the wake of a series of scandals in recent years.
The post has been vacant since its previous occupant Dónall Ó Cualáin was appointed acting garda commissioner in September 2017 following the resignation of Nóirín O’Sullivan.
Mr Ó Cualáin retired last September following the appointment of Mr Harris, a former PSNI officer, as permanent commissioner.
The deputy commissioner post, which pays € 166,648 a year, is described as “extremely challenging” by the Policing Authority which is responsible for candidate selection.
“There is a unique opportunity for a new Deputy Commissioner to contribute to the strategic development and transformation of the Irish police service in the context of the Irish Government’s commitment to a major reform programme, as outlined in the Government’s four year implementation plan for A Policing Service for the Future, which gives effect to the recommendations of the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.”
