External candidates over 55 will be able to apply for Garda role
Under the current rules, only those below this age threshold are eligible to put their names forward for the job. However, a short piece of legislation will now be drafted to change this.
The position will be advertised later this month and it is expected that a new commissioner will be appointed by the summer. Acting Commissioner Dónall Ó Cualáin has previously stated he will not seek the job on a full-time basis.
Speaking in the Dáil, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said salary will not be an obstacle when it comes to attracting the best candidate for the job.
He said it had been agreed with the Policing Authority that an overly long delay in this process would not be optimal for performance or morale in the force.
The Government agreed that the minister will bring forward a short-single section mill to amend the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, to remove the anomaly whereby an external appointee to the commissioner rank must be under 55 years of age.
In September, Mr Flanagan had asked the Policing Authority to begin consideration of all the factors pertinent to recruiting a commissioner and a programme of work was subsequently undertaken by the authority.
The Government considered the authority’s report to the minister on December 11. Subsequently, after legal advice, the Government decided to bring forward an amendment which shall not prevent a person who has attained the age of 55 but is less than 60 from being appointed as commissioner or deputy commissioner pursuant to section 9 or 10 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.
The Cabinet also agreed yesterday that members of the Defence Forces will join a German-led EU Battlegroup working on UN peacekeeping missions this year.
This is the first time Ireland has been part of a mission where Germany has been the lead nation.
It is likely that between eight and 10 members of the Defence Forces will join this group.
Defence Minister Paul Kehoe brought a memo on the Proposed participation from July to December 2020. The memo asked for approval for the Defence Forces to participate in an EU Battlegroup, led by Germany. This Battlegroup stands up on a four-year cycle and Ireland participated in it in 2012 and 2016.
Ireland has previously participated in the Nordic Battlegroups in 2008, 2011, and 2015 and the UK-led EU Battlegroup in 2016.
