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Garda Commissioner
Head of the Garda Síochána From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Garda Commissioner (Irish: Coimisinéir na nGardaí) – officially known as the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána (Irish: Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána) – is the head of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of Ireland. The Garda Commissioner is appointed by the Government of Ireland (Cabinet), on the recommendation of the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. The Commissioner reports to the Minister for Justice, in charge of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, of which the Garda Síochána is a state agency. The Garda Commissioner sits on the Irish Government's National Security Committee (NSC), and is responsible for Ireland's domestic state security apparatus.[2]
The current Garda Commissioner is Justin Kelly, as of 1 September 2025.[3][4][5][6]
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History
The Garda Síochána will succeed not by force of arms or numbers, but on their moral authority as servants of the people.
— Inaugural Garda Commissioner Michael Staines, 1922[7]
Michael Staines became the first Garda Commissioner in February 1922, when the force was founded as the Civic Guard.[8]
Traditionally, the Commissioner is the highest-ranking police officer in the state, however the selection process for the position is now open to candidates from outside the force, outside a law enforcement agency and outside of Ireland.[9]
Nóirín O'Sullivan became the first woman to lead the force on her appointment in November 2014, having served as the acting Garda Commissioner from March 2014.[10]
Drew Harris became the first Commissioner to be selected from outside An Garda Síochána in June 2018, having served as Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland since October 2014.[11]
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Office of the Garda Commissioner
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The Garda Commissioner sits at Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8 and is supported by a senior management team generally consisting of two Deputy Commissioners, eight Assistant Commissioners and a Chief Administrative Officer.[12] In addition to the senior management team, there are a number of executive directors leading supporting functions, along with a director of communications and the force's chief medical officer.
- Deputy Commissioner Policing & Security
- Deputy Commissioner Governance & Strategy
- Chief Administrative Officer
- Assistant Commissioner Crime and Security Intelligence Service
- Assistant Commissioner Organised & Serious Crime
- Assistant Commissioner Roads Policing & Community Engagement
- Assistant Commissioner Governance and Accountability
- Assistant Commissioner Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR)
- Assistant Commissioner Eastern Region
- Assistant Commissioner North Western Region
- Assistant Commissioner Southern Region
- Executive Director Chief Information Officer
- Executive Director of Finance and Services
- Executive Director Human Resources and People Development
- Executive Director Legal and Compliance
- Executive Director Strategy and Transformation
- Executive Director Executive Support & Corporate Services
- Director of Communications
- Garda Chief Medical Officer
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List of Garda Commissioners
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See also
References
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