The Government has ordered changes to the appointment system for top-level posts in the Garda.
In a memo to Garda management, the Department of Justice says the new system will be "competence-based". It will select officers to assistant commissioner rank "without any favouritism and can be regarded as apolitical".
At present officers up to this rank are selected by a three-person panel consisting of the commissioner, a deputy commissioner and a third person, usually a senior figure in business or the Civil Service.
Assessment will now be made by a panel comprising a deputy commissioner and as many of the nine assistant commissioners as are free to take part. This panel will select not more than 10 suitable candidates for interview.
The final interview board will consist of the commissioner, a deputy commissioner, a person nominated by the Top-Level Appointments Commission, a person nominated by the Civil Service Appointments Commission, and the secretary general of the Department of Justice, who will act as an observer.
The memo, which was also sent to the four Garda representative associations, says: "Discussing promotions, it might be argued that the present system has operated effectively. Indeed, there is no suggestion there is any dearth of talent at assistant commissioner rank." However, it adds: "The current system is insufficiently transparent." It points out that the Garda Siochana is a large organisation with a staff of 12,000 and a budget of £700 million.
"At present all chief superintendents can compete for the post and it may be argued that officers should have a certain level of excellence in senior management positions before they can be considered. It is also important that the Garda Siochana is managed by senior officers who have been selected for their professionalism without any favouritism and can be regarded as apolitical."
The document also says: "The Government has specifically asked that the system of selecting candidates for promotion to assistant commissioner be reviewed. The question has been raised a number of times at Government, and this paper looks at the options for a new system to be approved by Government." It is understood the Garda Commissioner intended to carry out interviews within the next month for the three assistant commissioner posts which are due to be filled.