Frustration over rotating garda superintendents

A PUBLIC representative in North Clare is to write to the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner asking questions about what he called the ‘constant rotating of garda superintendents’ in the area.
The Ennistymon Garda Division will have its ninth superintendent in 11 years in the coming weeks after it was revealed that Superintendent Peter Duff, appointed there at the beginning of last month, is moving to the Ennis District.
Superintendent Colm O’Sullivan from Anglesea Street Garda Station in Cork, will take on the role, having been promoted from the rank of inspector.
While Fine Gael county councillor Martin Conway wishes Superintendent O’Sullivan well in his new role, he criticised the turnover of superintendents over the past decade.
“The most recent superintendent lasted one month; the one before that lasted a year; the one before that just five months. There are a number of issues here. The first is that the gardaí themselves have their captain changing so regularly, it gives them no continuity of leadership,” said Councillor Conway. 
“From the point of view of building up community relations, it is not helpful that we have a rotating superintendent policy for the North Clare Garda Division.
“While I wish the new superintendent the very best and I am sure he has a proud record of service in the Garda Síochána, I sincerely hope that he will stay for a number of years, not a number of months or even possibly a number of weeks. I think for a superintendent to get a flavour of the community they need to be in situ for a number of years. I believe the people of North Clare deserve a bit more respect from the Garda authorities than to have superintendents coming and going in the fashion that has happened in recent times.
“In order to have a coordinated policing policy, that type of continuity is important,” Councillor Conway continued. “I will be writing to the Garda Commissioner and the minister for justice requesting an explanation for the constant rotating of superintendents and to ask them to ensure that the new superintendent will be here for a steady period of time and that he will not be here for just a few months and I am looking forward to their reply and their reassurances,” he concluded.
Clare’s Chief Superintendent John Kerin also expressed frustration with the regular changes in Ennistymon Garda Station. “Superintendent Duff was a recent appointment in County Clare and I expect he would prefer in reality to go back to Dublin, where his family are still living. I look forward to working with Superintendent O’Sullivan, who is newly promoted to the rank of superintendent. I know him of old and he brings a lot of experience with him from Cork City. He has vast experience in major emergency planning and will be very useful to the Clare Garda Division in that respect also. From my knowledge of him, he will actively involve himself in all aspects of Garda matters,” he said.
He continued, “However, it’s not ideal that the superintendent position in Ennistymon is changing so frequently.
“The fact is that the commissioner has a certain number of people to appoint at any given time. The regular changes does create challenges but looking at this more positively, every new appointment made to Ennistymon, or any area, means someone with new experience comes and shares their knowledge with the local gardaí. We all learn from each other and everybody brings different strengths and all in all that is an immense benefit to the Clare Garda Division.”
He also stated that he was happy that at least the superintendent position would not be vacant for any period.
“There are a significant number of garda divisions which have had no superintendent for nine months at a time and some of them are much busier than Ennistymon.
“There is a perception that Ennistymon is not busy but of course there are times of the year when it is, including the Willie Clancy Week, during the Lisdoonvarna Festival and during the peak summer times,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ennis’ new superintendent, Peter Duff, is taking up his new position next week, replacing Superintendent John Scanlan, who had held the post for more than three years.
Superintendent Scanlan is moving as divisional head in Roxboro Road Garda Station, a vacancy created by the transfer of Chief Superintendent Ann Marie McMahon to the Garda Communications Headquarters in Harcourt Square, Dublin 2.
Chief ­Superintendent John Kerin was full of praise for Superintendent Scanlan for the work he had put in at Ennis and the Clare Garda Division in general.
“On a personal basis, I am very disappointed to see him leaving. He is a very dedicated worker who gave the people of Ennis his absolute priority. He is a great leader and worker. He literally worked every hour under the sun. I sincerely wish him well in his new position. I believe he is capable of achieving a higher rank and in due course I imagine he will. He is a huge loss to this garda division, as he has been of great benefit. He was at all times totally on top of his brief. He never shunned meeting people, whoever they were, and was very hands-on in his role. He was also a very ­popular with staff and managed to get the very best from the local gardaí by the way he led by example and ­commitment,” the chief ­superintendent commented.
In relation to the appointment of Superintendent Duff to Ennis, transferring from Ennistymon, Chief Supt Kerin said that he Supt Duff is looking forward to the challenge of working in Ennis.
“He brings a lot of experience to this role, having worked in Blanchardstown, Clondalkin and West Dublin previously, which are all very busy centres. He has vast policing experience, including in community policing, and I have no doubt that he will be a huge asset to Ennis. He brings fine qualities to the role and I know that the local gardaí in Ennis will row in behind him,” he said.