James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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501. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda vacancies at superintendent rank; the locations of each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54471/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware the Policing Authority assumed responsibility for appointments to the senior ranks of Superintendent, Chief Superintendent and Assistant Garda Commissioner on 1 January 2017 and that I, as Minister, have no role in the matter.

Since assuming responsibility for this function, the Authority has run competitions for promotion to the ranks of Assistant Commissioner, Chief Superintendent and Superintendent. I am informed that the Authority has appointed 19 persons to the rank of Superintendent including a former member of the PSNI (as permitted by section 52 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 reflecting the 2002 Intergovernmental Agreement on Police Cooperation between Ireland and the UK).

Under Regulation 5 of Garda Síochána Act 2005 (Appointments to the Ranks of Assistant Garda Commissioner, Chief Superintendent and Superintendent) Regulations 2016, it falls to the Garda Commissioner to keep the Authority fully informed with regard to vacancies likely to arise within the agreed employment control framework in each of the specified ranks which includes the rank of Superintendent.

I have been advised by the Authority that there is currently one Superintendent vacancy consequential to the appointment of a Superintendent to Chief Superintendent in December 2017. One further vacancy is also expected to arise by the end January 2017. For operational reasons, the location of vacancies cannot be published.