Mick Clifford: Is it still a case of jobs for the boys – and girls – in An Garda Síochána?

Despite reforms, great unease persists, particularly at more senior levels in the force, about the system of senior promotions in the force

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris: In 2019, at an event known as the commissioner’s conference, there were public expressions of concern about the promotions system from the ranks of superintendent to chief superintendent. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Jobs for the boys were supposed to be a thing of the past in An Garda Síochána. 

It used to be that if you had a neighbour, family friend, relative, or sponsor in high places, your advancement was secured. 

This did not apply to everybody who got promoted, but plenty managed to get the nod based on who rather than what they knew.

Then there was the reform, a new system was introduced, and outside influences were brought to bear to clean up the promotion practices. 

Yet today, great unease persists, particularly at more senior levels in the force, that it remains a place of jobs for the boys. The only difference in this respect is these days the boys are joined by the girls.

In 2017, the newly established Policing Authority took control of senior appointments, from the rank of superintendent up. 

An Garda Síochána still had a major input into these promotions but the final decision, ostensibly at least, rested with the authority or independent figures appointed for the process by the authority.

This was one of the reforms introduced in the wake of controversies linked to the treatment of whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

Perceptions of favouritism and nepotism

Apart from anything else, a new system was badly needed to enhance morale in the force. In 2018, a cultural audit found there were “strong perceptions of favouritism and nepotism” in the organisation.

“Real or not, this view has created disillusionment and resentment across the organisation,” the audit found. 

The promotions system and how it is currently conducted needs to be reviewed and changed where required. We believe that positive change here would be viewed as a symbol of genuine culture change.” 

That change was supposedly under way with the new system under the stewardship of the Policing Authority.

The competition involves a shortlisting of candidates for interview along with different tests that are standard in human resource competitions. 

The interview board consists of four people, two independent interviewers, usually drawn from the senior ranks of the public sector, a policing expert, and a nominee of the Garda commissioner.

This board compiles an order of merit which is passed onto the Policing Authority, which draws up a panel from that order to include in a panel of successful candidates who will be promoted when vacancies arise. 

Despite the process being at arm’s length from the force, a spokesperson for the Policing Authority did accept that An Garda Síochána “has a significant level of involvement in the authority’s appointment processes”. 

In 2019, at an event known as the commissioner’s conference, there were public expressions of concern about the promotions system from the ranks of superintendent to chief superintendent. 

Commissioner Drew Harris, it is reported, offered assurances he would look into it. 

A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said the commissioner attended the final interview process for the promotion competition to chief superintendent this year.

Evidence suggests little has changed

Yet, the evidence suggests little has changed. 

Last June, the Association of Garda Superintendents (AGS) wrote to the chief executive of the Policing Authority Helen Hall to express concerns. 

The letter was significant as the association, like any such group, would have been reluctant to get involved in what is essentially an issue on which its member must be divided. 

Any successful candidates for promotion are unlikely to take issue with the system, and would in all likelihood resent suggestions it was tainted. 

Yet the volume of complaints from within its 166 members prompted the association’s general secretary Mick Comyns to write: “We have received an unprecedented number of complaints from those not shortlisted. 

This competition has resulted in some excellent people with outstanding proven ability not even getting a preliminary interview with the result that it has demoralised and demotivated members of our association.” 

The letter went through how the competition for promotion to chief had changed in recent years, suggesting it lacked “consistency”.

“Of particular concern is that two of our members who were successful in the 2020 promotion competition and were placed on a panel deemed suitable for promotion when vacancies arose, have now failed to secure a preliminary interview.” 

The association also queried a new addition to the competition, a “situational judgement test”.

“We are having difficulty understanding the rationale for using these tests for a promotion competition like this,” Mr Comyn writes.

“It is our understanding from international policing and the private sector that tests like this are really only of use to establish a baseline understanding in the absence of other evidence... They are rarely used for promotion competition.” 

Allegation of malpractice in promotions competition

Entirely separately, the Irish Examiner has learned a serving superintendent has submitted a Protected Disclosure about the promotions competition, alleging malpractice. 

This was submitted to the Public Appointments Service and the departments of Justice and the Taoiseach. 

None of the three bodies would confirm receipt of the disclosure, citing a confidentiality clause in the legislation governing such disclosures. 

As a result, it is impossible to know whether any action has been taken on foot of it. 

The disclosure was signed “an anonymous superintendent” but a perusal of the contents confirms a detailed knowledge of the system.

The document proffers the view, with some evidence, that the dominant figure on the interview panel is the Garda member. 

“The Garda representative nominated by the commissioner to sit on the interview panel, in reality, controls the process of shortlisting candidates for interview and then selecting the successful candidates from those selected to progress to preliminary and final interview stage,” it states.

“Many candidates who have progressed to the preliminary interview stage are two to three years in the rank of superintendent and a large cohort are between one and two years in the rank. How can these people have the experience and strategic perspective to hold the rank of chief superintendent?” 

The discloser goes on to provide a number of examples of promoted officers who had achieved advancement with a minimum of experience but who also had close friends or sponsors in the upper echelons of the force.

Further concerns

Another development that occurred this year has raised further concerns. In the promotion competition for superintendent, all candidates — believed to be between 55 and 65 — were placed on a panel, putting them in line for advancement when a position becomes vacant. 

In a typical year, there may be up to 30 vacancies, which would infer that at least half the panel has no hope of being selected for promotion. 

However, some sources in the force are suggesting the large number placed on the panel is to ensure there are no complaints or requests for external reviews about the process.

The Policing Authority rejects any such suggestion. 

A spokesperson pointed out the role of the selection board is to assess the suitability of candidates and to provide an order of merit list for the authority, which then decides how many of those will be part of a panel.

“In doing this, the authority has regard to a range of criteria, including the number of vacancies that might arise over the lifetime of a panel. For the competition you refer to, all the candidates from the order of merit list were placed on the panel. This is not always the case and there is no typical number of candidates on a panel.” 

Officially, concerns expressed could be put down to sour grapes among those who are unsuccessful. 

To dismiss it like that would be foolish and reckless. 

Senior gardaí have been schooled in the discipline of the force, most of them with at least 20 years of service behind them. 

They are highly unlikely to be callow or impetuous in areas like promotions unless inconsistencies are glaring. 

At a time when morale is an issue right across the ranks of An Garda Síochána, some form of robust inquiry into the system of senior promotions needs to take place.