FORMER GARDA COMMISSIONER Nóirín O’Sullivan has been appointed as the Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security at the United Nations. 

As deputy to the Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, O’Sullivan will be responsible for the day-to-day overall management of the Department and support of the USG in overall leadership and management. 

O’Sullivan was appointed as Garda Commissioner in November 2014, after the previous commissioner Martin Callinan stepped down after describing Garda whistleblowers’ allegations as “disgusting”.

O’Sullivan announced her retirement from the Gardaí in September 2017 following months of calls from the opposition for her resignation.

She was asked to resign because of a number of scandals that rocked the force this year, including more revelations relating to the Maurice McCabe saga; the inflated number of breath tests over a number of years; and the alleged misuse of funds at the Garda college in Templemore.

The Disclosures Tribunal has since found that there is no “credible evidence” that O’Sullivan “played any hand act or part” in any campaign against McCabe. 

In October 2017, O’Sullivan was appointed the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Europe in the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

A statement from the UN reads: “Ms O’Sullivan brings to the role her extensive experience in international safety and security management, strategic management and leadership. 

“She is a leader in partnership building, leading teams and able to manage complexity and to drive strategic change. She also brings an in-depth knowledge of international security, crisis management, strategic and institutional leadership and gender issues to the position.” 

With reporting by Gráinne Ní Aodha