GRA wants Noirín O’Sullivan to lead the force

The largest garda representative association has told the Government it should appoint Noirín O’Sullivan as Garda commissioner.

Ms O’Sullivan, the interim commissioner, received a standing ovation as she addressed delegates at the Garda Representative Association’s annual conference.

GRA president John Parker said since the retirement of Martin Callinan, Ms O’Sullivan had moved swiftly to deal with the various emerging issues in order to maintain public confidence in the force and morale within ranks.

“You have shown yourself to be decisive, innovative, and a true leader who has consulted with and connected with the force, thus harnessing the goodwill of the membership at a level which I in my 25 years’ service have not previously experienced,” Garda Parker told her.

“My informed and measured advice to Government and to the Irish public is that by having you at the helm, I feel we can drive change willingly from within rather than on the one hand chipping at the edges and on the other hand cracking a nut with a sledgehammer.”

Ms O’Sullivan, who conducted a closed-door Q&A session with delegates, said it was important to listen to the views of the frontline members of the force.

Earlier, she said that she had received more than 1,900 replies across all ranks to her appeal for their views on the way forward. Ms O’Sullivan said she would spend the next number of days studying the issues raised.