Noirin O’Sullivan stepped aside yesterday, saying the core of her job is no longer police work.
Faked breath tests, financial irregularities at Templemore, allegations about the handling of whistleblowers, poor morale and the legacy of penalty points wiping all fell to her, along with one of the bloodiest gang feuds in Irish history.
Some politicians have welcomed her retirement, including Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald – who says more members of senior Garda management need to consider their positions.
That process is likely to take a number of months and many Gardaí on the beat fear nothing will get done in that time as interim management tries to keep the ship on course.
