Gardaí warn of consequences of leaving top positions unfilled

Gardaí have said the force is being decimated over the justice minister’s failure to fill over 60 vacancies caused by the large-scale retirement of senior officers.

However, Alan Shatter has promised to seek Government approval in the near future to fill the large number of vacancies among top-ranking gardaí, following a barrage of criticism over delays in promoting officers to key positions.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors yesterday warned of the consequences of the failure to fill crucial gaps in the force.

According to the AGSI, 61 senior gardaí — including five assistant commissioners and eight chief superintendents — are due to retire before the end of this month.

It predicts the figure will increase to 72 within weeks, leaving behind 19 vacancies at chief superintendent level and 44 at superintendent level.

“The managerial and supervisory ranks are being decimated because members in those positions tend to be more mature and a higher proportion of such members are eligible for retirement,” said AGSI deputy general secretary John Redmond.

“It would only take one serious emergency to expose the lack of management. If this happens the blame game will be in full flow but it will be too late.”

The retirements will see half of the 10 assistant commissioners leave their positions. Many of those retiring at this rank — the third highest within An Garda Síochána — also have key responsibilities as regional commanders.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Feehan, who is in charge of policing in Dublin, is the latest to announce his retirement from the force.

It follows recent confirmation that the two most senior gardaí involved in the long-running Anglo Irish Bank inquiry are also due to retire from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.

The AGSI said 51 senior officers at superintendent and higher levels have not been promoted in the past six months, despite a large number of vacancies around the country.

The AGSI warned that the failure to fill such vacancies had a knock-on effect, which left the force at risk of being “paralysed by a lack of management”.

It claimed the lack of promotions was also creating extreme hardship for many individual gardaí.

Speaking in Belfast, Mr Shatter said he would bring the matter to the Cabinet “very shortly.”

Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Dara Calleary said the minister needed to urgently fill the senior Garda positions left vacant by the large number of retirements.

Mr Calleary said he was deeply concerned at Mr Shatter’s failure to date to take any action to fill the posts of the two most senior gardaí involved in the Anglo inquiry.

“Only 11 gardaí and eight members of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement are now involved in the Anglo investigation, compared to 27 gardaí and 16 ODCE officers in 2010,” he said.