High-ranking posts must be filled now - Vacant senior garda positions

TOWARDS the end of last June Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan warned the Government that a ‘profound risk’ existed to the standard of policing in the country because so many senior posts remained unfulfilled. She wanted 18 chief superintendent and 26 superintendent promotions approved by the Cabinet.

She got somewhat less than that when, two weeks later, the Government approved the appointment of 28 senior officers in total.

This time round, that ‘profound risk’ to policing has become more critical as the Government has refused to sanction more promotions until the new Policing Authority can take over its role of final approval.