MINISTER FOR Justice Dermot Ahern has secured Cabinet approval for 170 Garda promotions to fill vacancies arising from the record rate of retirements from the force.
The promotions, approved at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, are being made as part of an exemption for the Garda from the public sector recruitment and promotions ban.
The move follows criticism from the Opposition, most notably Fine Gael, that key posts were vacant across the force at a time when gangland and other serious crime remained a serious issue.
Mr Ahern said yesterday it was “easy to be critical”.
He believed the promotions would bring new personnel into senior posts and would also enable young Garda members to begin their journey up the ranks. “But I wouldn’t overestimate . Crime is obviously something that will still have to be confronted on a daily basis,” he said.
Mr Ahern made his remarks at the launch in Dublin yesterday of a new website for the Crimestoppers service.
The promotions approved will see vacancies filled at all ranks including: assistant commissioner (one); chief superintendent (nine); superintendent (12); inspector (28); and sergeant (120).
Mr Ahern was unable to say when the promotions would be filled. He said now that they had been sanctioned by the Department of Finance, it was up to Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy to fill them.
The Irish Times understands some of the posts will be filled by personnel who have already been approved for promotions but missed out in recent months due to the promotions moratorium.
For some of the posts, new competitions will be held and candidates selected.
At the weekend, Fine Gael’s spokesman on justice Charlie Flanagan TD criticised Mr Ahern, saying he had let a very large number of vacancies arise, leaving the force in an “impossible position”.
The shortage of key personnel was “not a recipe for success in the fight against gangland crime”.
The large number of vacancies have arisen because almost 800 Garda members retired last year, compared to between 200 and 300 in recent years.
Many took early retirement because they feared their retirement gratuity payments were about to be taxed in the last budget as part of efforts to reduce public expenditure.
Meanwhile, Mr Ahern said the new Crimestoppers website launched yesterday could be used by people looking to pass on information to gardaí anonymously.
“It gives people who have information about a crime, but who are afraid to come forward, a safe way to do so and is a valuable tool in the fight against crime.”
Assistant Commissioner Louis Harkin said the quality of calls the service had received in recent months had helped solve very serious crimes.
“In 2009, information received by Crimestoppers was beneficial to gardaí in helping to solve cases of murder, sexual assault and robbery.”
Crimestoppers is run by the Garda and the Department of Justice in association with business groups. Its chairman, Tim Dalton, urged more businesses to support the service.
Crimestoppers website is www.crimestoppers.ie