Garda Commissioner
Head of the Garda Síochána
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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]
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| Garda Commissioner | |
|---|---|
| Member of | National Security Committee |
| Reports to | Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration |
| Nominator | Minister for Justice |
| Appointer | Government of Ireland |
| Term length | 5 years |
| Formation | February 1922 |
| Deputy | Deputy Commissioner Operations |
| Salary | €314,512[1] |
The current Garda Commissioner is Justin Kelly, as of 1 September 2025.[3][4][5][6]
History
The Garda Síochána will succeed not by force of arms or numbers, but on their moral authority as servants of the people.
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]
Office of the Garda Commissioner
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
List of Garda Commissioners
| Name | Term of office | Notes / reason for departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Staines | February 1922 | September 1922 | resigned following Civic Guard Mutiny |
| Patrick Brennan | May 1922 | September 1922 | (unofficial – elected by mutineers during Civic Guard Mutiny) |
| Eoin O'Duffy | September 1922 | February 1933 | dismissed for encouraging a military coup |
| Eamon Broy | February 1933 | June 1938 | retired |
| Michael Kinnane | June 1938 | July 1952 | died |
| Daniel Costigan | July 1952 | February 1965 | resigned |
| William P. Quinn | February 1965 | March 1967 | retired |
| Patrick Carroll | March 1967 | September 1968 | retired |
| Michael Wymes | September 1968 | January 1973 | retired |
| Patrick Malone | January 1973 | September 1975 | retired |
| Edmund Garvey | September 1975 | January 1978 | replaced (lost government confidence)[13] |
| Patrick McLaughlin | January 1978 | January 1983 | retired (wiretap scandal) |
| Lawrence Wren | February 1983 | November 1987 | retired |
| Eamonn Doherty | November 1987 | December 1988 | retired |
| Eugene Crowley | December 1988 | January 1991 | retired |
| Patrick Culligan | January 1991 | July 1996 | retired |
| Patrick Byrne | July 1996 | July 2003 | retired |
| Noel Conroy | July 2003 | November 2007 | retired |
| Fachtna Murphy | November 2007 | December 2010 | retired |
| Martin Callinan | December 2010 | March 2014 | resigned (penalty points & GSOC bugging scandal) |
| Nóirín O'Sullivan | March 2014 (acting) November 2014 (permanent)[14] | September 2017 | retired (whistleblower scandal & breath test scandal) |
| Dónall Ó Cualáin | September 2017 (acting) | September 2018 | end of Acting Commissioner period / retired |
| Drew Harris | September 2018 | September 2025 | completed term (with extensions) |
| Justin Kelly | September 2025[6] |
Incumbent |
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