The Government is offering a salary of over €314,000 for the position of new Garda Commissioner, the same salary as the current commissioner.
The search for Drew Harris' replacement commenced today with the position advertised on the public jobs website.
The competition is being run by the Public Appointments Commission and the deadline for applications is just under three weeks away on 29 May.
However, the salary for the successful candidate could be less than Mr Harris’s salary of €314,512.00, as the application states that it "will be negotiable" up to that amount and "subject to the individual’s pension arrangements".
It is not clear whether any of the current senior garda officers who graduated from Templemore will apply for the position, because they could face tax bills on their pensions, in some cases of up to €1.5m.
These tax liabilities do not apply to applicants from outside An Garda Síochána or those currently serving who joined from another police service.
Senior gardaí are unhappy that the Government did not accept and implement the recommendations of its own review, the Butler report, which examined the financial issues that the senior officers said were preventing them from applying for promotion.
The Government has promised changes to the pension scheme, which will not commence until 2026.
Today’s advertisement says An Garda Síochána is seeking someone with "a proven track record" of successful strategic and organisational reform, who can implement and communicate new ways of working and build "a cohesive senior management team".
The new commissioner will replace Mr Harris in September, the first person from an outside police force to lead An Garda Síochána for the past seven years.
They will be appointed to a five-year term or until the retirement age of 62 and will be in charge of nearly 18,000 sworn gardaí, garda staff and garda reserves.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said the new commissioner will be mandated to strengthen capacity and capability across the organisation, build on existing knowledge and expertise to ensure it is at the forefront of policing and state security globally, in line with its mission of "Keeping People Safe".
He also said he expects to be able to make a recommendation for the position to the Cabinet in late July.
Read more: Harris to remain on as Commissioner for three further months
