Female garda rises to make history

HISTORY was made yesterday with the appointment of a woman to the second most powerful rank in the gardaí.

Noirín O’Sullivan, 50, now fills the position of Deputy Commissioner in the force, following a landmark Cabinet decision.

As Director Commissioner Operations, Ms O’Sullivan will be in charge of the operational policing side of the force.

The assistant commissioners in charge of Crime and Security and the National Support Services — which includes all the various specialist Garda units — will now answer to Ms O’Sullivan, as will all regional assistant commissioners.

The decision was made at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting and was announced by Justice Minister Alan Shatter and Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan. Mr Callinan vacated the position of Deputy Commissioner Operations last December.

Ms O’Sullivan is, like Commissioner Callinan, a native of Dublin. She has served with the force since 1981 in Dublin, Tipperary and Galway.

She was appointed to superintendent in 2000 and served in the Garda College before moving on to become a detective superintendent in the Garda National Drugs Unit.

She was promoted to chief superintendent in 2003 and served as a detective chief superintendent at the Technical Bureau and Human Resource Management.

In 2007, she was promoted to assistant commissioner in charge of the Western Region, before moving back to Human Resource Management.

In June 2009, she was appointed to the role of assistant commissioner in Crime and Security.

Ms O’Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Masters of Business Studies and an Advanced Management Diploma from University College Dublin.