WITH NÓIRÍN O’SULLIVAN retiring from her role as garda commissioner, the focus now turns to who will replace her in the top job in An Garda Síochana.

Taking her place for the time being, until a replacement is found, is Deputy Commissioner Dónall Ó Cualáin, who was made Acting Commissioner with full powers from today.

This will be the first time that the Policing Authority will be responsible for the selection of the new garda commissioner.

And, according to a poll carried out by Amarách Research for RTE’s Claire Byrne Live, nearly half of us think O’Sullivan’s successor should be recruited from abroad.

In all, 48% of people think that the next commissioner should be selected from outside the State.

This is contrasted with 29% of people who say that the next commissioner should be recruited in Ireland, and 23% who don’t know either way.

The Policing Authority said today it has “immediately commenced consideration and research” on the process to identify and appoint the next commissioner.

“While section 9 of the Garda Síocháná Act 2005 sets out the statutory requirements, this will be the first time that the new legislative process is utilised,” it said.

The authority will work with the Public Appointments Service and the Department of Justice and Equality over the coming weeks “to agree the precise requirements for the role and to formally initiate the selection competition”.

Read: Ireland’s new Acting Garda Commissioner brought in to ‘keep things steady’

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