Shatter expected to confirm senior Garda promotions

MINISTER FOR Justice Alan Shatter is expected to confirm today the promotion of 26 senior Garda officers to complete a promotions process promised by the Government almost 12 months ago.

The move comes after a series of armed robberies since late last week and a number of high-profile public order incidents in recent weeks, including the disturbances at the MCD-promoted dance festival in Dublin’s Phoenix Park the weekend before last.

Speaking at a Garda graduation ceremony in Templemore, Co Tipperary, yesterday, Mr Shatter said the Department of Public Expenditure had sanctioned the filling of 26 senior posts in the force.

He said the appointment of one assistant commissioner, four chief superintendents and 13 superintendents to fill existing vacancies would soon be announced.

It is also expected interviews will be held with a view to promoting another eight officers to the senior ranks of the Garda. These eight will be promoted into some of the vacancies created by the promotion of the 18 officers already on promotions lists.

Mr Shatter is to bring his proposed appointments to today’s Cabinet meeting, which is expected to rubber-stamp them.

Between last August and October a competitive process was held, and on the basis of that 51 senior gardaí secured promotion. However, none of those was promoted immediately. Some 23 personnel were promoted last February.

The further promotions expected to be rubber-stamped by the Cabinet today represent the remaining officers on a list of 51 who secured promotion last year but who have had to wait for those promotions to be executed.

In relation to the spate of robberies in the past week – seven have taken place in Dublin and Wicklow – Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said the force had been focused on the issue of armed robberies for some time and substantial progress had been made in solving a number of the recent incidents.

Mr Callinan told RTÉ he was satisfied that the individuals involved in the recent robberies had been identified and he expected arrests in the coming days and weeks. “We are proactively targeting these people,” he said.

Mr Shatter denied that the recent spate of armed robberies could be linked to a €79 million reduction in the Garda budget.

“This isn’t an issue relating to money,” he said.

“The Garda Síochána is engaged in smart policing and it is about how we use our technology and how we use Garda resources.”