THE JUSTICE MINISTER has been warned that it would be “a serious mistake” to rush into appointing a new garda commissioner.

The Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland wrote to Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan urging him not to hire a new commissioner until its work was done.

The commission was set up earlier this year tasked with defining the development and future of the gardaí.

In its widely reported letter, chairperson Kathleen O’Toole said that the commission’s work has already identified the need for significant changes in the gardaí.

She said that it would be unlikely for a “credible” candidate to come forward for the role of commissioner without clarity on what the job would entail.

Nóirín O’Sullivan stepped down from the post of garda commissioner earlier this month, following a term dogged by addressing and answering for a myriad of garda controversies.

In his response to the commission’s letter, Flanagan said that he agreed with the chair that it was “crucial that a deliberate and considered recruitment process takes place so that the best possible candidate is appointed”.

“I know the Commission shares this objective and I am grateful for its input which I will carefully consider,” he said.

Read: Gardaí’s right to strike ruled out in new report

Read: Viagra, steroids and antibiotics among €850,000 worth of medicines seized this year