Mr. John Devitt:

Yes. We agree that the risk of the politicisation of appointments should be dealt with by the establishment of a Garda authority that would be responsible for recruitment of gardaí above superintendent level. Professor William Kingston at Trinity College has pointed to the need for the establishment of an officer corps within An Garda Síochána, with direct recruitment from graduates. There is a similar system in the United Kingdom, namely, an accelerated graduate recruitment process which allows for graduates of high calibre to enter the Metropolitan Police Service at the rank of inspector after three years.

The culture of collegiality has been highlighted as a potential problem in creating group think within any organisation, and it is important to examine the strategies that can be adopted to address disproportionate degrees of collegiality within An Garda Síochána.