THE new Garda Commissioner will be appointed by the Government at its meeting next Tuesday.
The final runner for the £65,000 a year post is Mr Pat Byrne, the deputy commissioner currently in charge of operations. Aged 50, he is the youngest contender within the force for the job.
It is understood the three Coalition leaders discussed the candidates for the commissionership in recent days when the anti crime package was being prepared. The question of appointing an outsider to head the force was not a serious option.
The Government is moving quickly to name the new Commissioner, to replace Mr Patrick Culligan, who is retiring on July 20th, to ensure his appointment coincides with the overall review of the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the Garda Siochana announced last Tuesday.
Details of the review, to be conducted under the Strategic Management Initiative, are also due to be announced next week.
The Cabinet has already decided that the new Commissioner will be "obliged" to implement the recommendations of the review of the force.
Born in Knockagree, Co Cork, Mr Byrne is the son of a superintendent. He also had two uncles in the force. One uncle, Mr Billy Byrne, became a superintendent in Dublin.
Sources last night suggested that Mr Byrne was being favoured over the other contenders because of his reputation as a hands on operational manager.
Government leaders are believed to have devoted considerable time discussing the appointment of the new Commissioner, seeing it as one of the most important decisions they can take at this time about the crime levels in the State.
