Recruitment of next Garda Commissioner begins

The process is being undertaken by the Public Appointments Service under the auspices of the independent Policing Authority for the first time.

The selection process is expecting to take around four months, followed by extra time to complete.

Commenting on the beginning of recruitment, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said: “I am pleased that the process to appoint the next Commissioner of An Garda Síochána is now underway. I would like to acknowledge the good work of the Policing Authority, the Public Appointments Service and my Department over the last number of months to prepare for the launch of the competition.”

Mr Flanagan (pictured) added: “The role of Commissioner, the most senior post in Irish policing, is extremely challenging.

“The overriding concern of all stakeholders has been to ensure that this process is designed to attract the widest possible pool of high calibre candidates, so that whoever is selected and nominated by the Authority for appointment by Government is tested against a strong field.”