Passing the baton: The man charged with steering the Garda Siochana out of its present troubled waters is Deputy Commissioner Noel Conroy, who next week takes over as Commissioner.
The Garda is unlike many other police forces, in that senior positions are always filled by internal applicants. This means that there is no mechanism for the injection of new ideas and methods into the force, as has happened in the PSNI with the appointment of Hugh Orde as Chief Constable.
Nonetheless, hopes are high among those familiar with the force that Conroy will be able to tackle the problems that have emerged recently. "He's a very good guy," says one senior counsel who works with the Garda in prosecutions.
"You'd have nothing but the highest regard for him," comments a leading defence lawyer. "You feel there's a real dedication there. He's someone who otherwise could have gone into the private sector. But it will be very, very difficult for him."
Conroy's previous position as head of operations has made him familiar with the day-to-day workings of the force, and, like his predecessor, he cut his professional teeth as a detective, where he had a reputation for thoroughness in his investigations.
He played a major role in modernising the force, and helped create the Criminal Assets Bureau. He also has extensive experience working with police forces in Europe.
From Blacksod, Co Mayo, he joined the force in 1963, and was awarded a Scott Medal for bravery in 1981 for the arrest of an armed gang in Dublin.
Described as a quiet family man, he is not part of the laddish, boozy culture pervasive in some areas of the force, and is likely to have little sympathy with slipshod methods or with members who pursue outside professional interests.