Nóirin O'Sullivan announced as Garda Commissioner
Nóirin O'Sullivan has been announced as the new Garda Commissioner.
O'Sullivan was appointed to the interim position after the resignation of Martin Callahan in March. She was the first woman to hold such a rank in the gardaí and is now the first female to be appointed as Garda Commissioner.
A Dublin native, she has been a member of the gardaí since 1981, and has served in both Dublin and Tipperary.
"There's certainly things that we have to do differently," O'Sullivan said this afternoon. "I don't underestimate the big body of work we have to do … but I know that working together with the support of the community, we can improve the service that we provide."
The Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald, announced the decision following today's Cabinet meeting.
The Department of Justice said Ms O'Sullivan was the sole candidate recommended by a "special high-level" committee after two rounds of interviews with candidates both from Ireland and abroad.
It was the first time the position was open to external applicants, following a series of controversies including allegations from garda whistleblowers, which saw the departure of both the previous Commissioner and the Minister.
“An Garda Síochána has faced many challenges in recent times," Minister Fitzgerald wrote in a statement.
"The focus must now be to ensure public confidence in policing in Ireland and to support the men and women An Garda Síochána in their day-to-day work of keeping our communities and country safe.
“I wish the new Commissioner all the very best.”
