| Post: | Garda Commissioner |
| Incumbent: | Drew Harris |
| Incumbentsince: | 3 September 2018 |
| Member Of: | National Security Committee |
| Reports To: | Minister for Justice |
| Nominator: | Minister for Justice |
| Appointer: | Government of Ireland |
| Termlength: | 5 years |
| Formation: | February 1922 |
| Deputy: | Deputy Commissioner Operations |
| Inaugural: | Michael Staines |
| Salary: | €250,000 |
The Garda Commissioner (Irish: Coimisinéir na nGardaí) – officially known as the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána (Irish: Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána) – is the head of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of Ireland. The Garda Commissioner is appointed by the Government of Ireland (Cabinet), on the recommendation of the Minister for Justice. The Commissioner reports to the Minister for Justice, in charge of the Department of Justice, of which the Garda Síochána is a state agency. The Garda Commissioner sits on the Irish Government's National Security Committee (NSC), and is responsible for Ireland's domestic state security apparatus.[1]
The current Garda Commissioner is Drew Harris, former Deputy Chief Constable of the PSNI, who took office on 3 September 2018.[2]
Michael Staines became the first Garda Commissioner in February 1922, when the force was founded as the Civic Guard.[3]
Traditionally, the Commissioner is the highest-ranking police officer in the state, however the selection process for the position is now open to candidates from outside the force, outside a law enforcement agency and outside of Ireland.[4]
Nóirín O'Sullivan made history in becoming the first woman to lead the force when she was appointed in November 2014, having already served as the acting Garda Commissioner since March 2014.[5]
The Garda Commissioner sits at Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8 and is supported by a senior management team consisting of two Deputy Commissioners, a Chief Administrative Officer and eight Assistant Commissioners.[6] There are also a number of Executive Directors, each with a different area of responsibility.
| Name | Term of office | Reason | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Staines | February 1922 | September 1922 | resigned following Civic Guard Mutiny | |
| Patrick Brennan | May 1922 | September 1922 | (unofficial – elected by mutineers during Civic Guard Mutiny) | |
| September 1922 | February 1933 | dismissed for encouraging a military coup | ||
| February 1933 | June 1938 | retired | ||
| Michael Kinnane | June 1938 | July 1952 | died | |
| July 1952 | February 1965 | resigned | ||
| February 1965 | March 1967 | retired | ||
| Patrick Carroll | March 1967 | September 1968 | retired | |
| Michael Wymes | September 1968 | January 1973 | retired | |
| Patrick Malone | January 1973 | September 1975 | retired | |
| Edmund Garvey | September 1975 | January 1978 | replaced (lost government confidence)[7] | |
| Patrick McLaughlin | January 1978 | January 1983 | retired (wiretap scandal) | |
| Lawrence Wren | February 1983 | November 1987 | retired | |
| Eamonn Doherty | November 1987 | December 1988 | retired | |
| Eugene Crowley | December 1988 | January 1991 | retired | |
| Patrick Culligan | January 1991 | July 1996 | retired | |
| Patrick Byrne | July 1996 | July 2003 | retired | |
| July 2003 | November 2007 | retired | ||
| November 2007 | December 2010 | retired | ||
| December 2010 | March 2014 | resigned (penalty points & GSOC bugging scandal) | ||
| March 2014 (acting) November 2014 (permanent)[8] | September 2017 | retired (whistleblower scandal & breath test scandal) | ||
| September 2017 (acting) | September 2018 | Acting Commissioner | ||
| September 2018 | Incumbent |