Garda Commissioner Drew Harris is to remain in the role of head of An Garda Síochána until 2025, it has been announced.
The government granted a two-year extension this morning, allowing Mr Harris to continue his term until the current statutory retirement age for Gardai at the age of 60.
Mr Harris said it is a “great privilege and honour” to be in the post. He was the first officer from outside the force to be appointed Garda Commissioner in 2018, after previously serving as Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
He commented: “During the last four years, the organisation has made great progress in becoming an efficient and effective human-rights focused policing and security service.
“In particular, the work by Garda personnel during the Covid-19 pandemic was a real demonstration of the organisation’s commitment to keeping people safe through our ethos of policing by consent and in partnership with communities.
“However, while we have made many significant changes to the organisation in recent years, the pandemic also meant that we had to put on hold some of the elements of our reform programme that we had planned to introduce.
“I look forward to leading An Garda Síochána in providing the best possible policing and security service to the people of Ireland.”
