ACTING GARDA COMMISSIONER Noirín O’Sullivan has the ’100 per cent support’ of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and is expected to receive a warm welcome when she speaks at the annual delegate conference this afternoon.
Speaking yesterday ahead of the conference, GRA President John Parker said the acting commissioner has been engaged with the force and the various representative associations.
O’Sullivan took over as acting commissioner after the resignation of Martin Callinan over recent controversies surrounding whistleblowers and the taping of phone calls at garda stations around the country.
She has already taken an active role, according to Parker, and has distributed a survey to every member to ask for their input.
Parker said that he thinks O’Sullivan will be “a uniting force” within An Garda Síochána following these controversies.
She will address the conference of 160 delegates who represent 10,500 gardaí in the force this afternoon and is expected to be welcomed with open arms.
Throwing the baby out with the bathwater
When asked about the possibility of the appointment of an external person to the position of commissioner, the GRA President said he would “hate that it would be unbalanced against a person because they’re internal”.
This will be throwing the baby out with the bathwater , if there’s something to be done, give her the opportunity to change and at the same time we can do it in a manner – she knows the job from the ground up and she’s where she is by merit and having risen through the ranks on an operational basis.
He said her appointment as commissioner would be “groundbreaking” as she would be the first female Garda Commissioner.
“If the organisation is to change it should change from within with co-operation, and she will receive our complete 100 per cent support for the change, and I will say, once it’s balanced change and we’re involved in it, then you will find it will progress much speedier,” he added.
We’ll be bringing you the latest news from the conference in Killarney over the next couple of days so keep your eyes peeled. You can also follow @michellehtweet for updates throughout the day.
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