Four senior gardaí shortlisted for deputy commissioner job as pension dispute continues

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has been sitting on the interview panel.

Four senior gardaí have been shortlisted for the Deputy Garda Commissioner position, the Irish Examiner understands.

But there are indications that some or all of the three career-gardaí shortlisted — the fourth is a former PSNI officer who joined two years ago — may reconsider the matter after a drawn-out row over a pension tax burden if they got the job appears not to have been resolved.

The competition for the second most powerful role in the force has been dogged by delays, reviews, publicly-aired criticism, and intense behind-the-scenes correspondence and discussions.

While it is not confirmed, it is thought that there have been no external candidates from other jurisdictions for the position.

The first round of interviews were conducted on Monday and a shortlist has been drawn up for final interviews on October 7. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris sits on the interview panel.

It is understood the four candidates, all assistant commissioners, shortlisted are Justin Kelly, Organised and Serious Crime; Angela Willis, Dublin Metropolitan Region; Clíona Richardson, North Western Region; and John Roberts, Governance and Accountability.

Mr Roberts joined from the PSNI in August 2022, while the other three have served their careers in the gardaí.

Central to the concerns of career-gardaí going for the position, and those who decided not to apply, is a hefty tax burden — of between €200,000 and €500,000 — they say they would be hit with, in contrast to all other candidates.

There seems to be considerable disquiet among the senior gardaí that, despite all the recent moves, there is still a lack of clarity over the pension tax.

There are reports that the findings of an independent review into the matter appear not to have been accepted by the Government, which has instead offered a "review of a review".

Gardaí are thought to have sought clarity and a timeline before they proceed with the final interview.