The Government yesterday announced the appointment of Assistant Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan to the post of deputy commissioner with responsibility for strategic change management.
Prior to yesterday's announcement there were two deputy commissioner posts in the Garda, one held by Fachtna Murphy, who has responsibility for operations, and the other by Peter Fitzgerald, who is responsible for strategic and resource management.
Married with three children, the new deputy commissioner is 53 and joined the Garda in 1973. He has served in various postings in Dublin, the southeast and the west. Before his appointment as assistant commissioner he was based at the National Bureau for Criminal Investigation and the Security and Intelligence Branch at Garda headquarters.
The case for a third deputy commissioner was identified as crucial by an advisory group chaired by Senator Maurice Hayes, which reported on the implementation of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.
The group recommended that a dedicated management team was needed to drive major change in the force. This would be headed by a new civilian appointee at a level equivalent to deputy commissioner, reporting directly to the commissioner.
Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell confirmed yesterday that recruitment for this civilian post in the Garda would start in the coming weeks.
This civilian administrator will join the Garda commissioner, Deputy Commissioner Callinan and other members at that level in the organisation on the force's new board of management.