FOLLOWING THE GOVERNMENT’S approval of a number of new senior Garda appointments yesterday, chief superintendents Gerard Phillips and Dónall Ó Cualáin have both been promoted to the position of Assistant Commissioner.

The new roles will be based in the eastern and southern regions.

Philips, who has been working out of Ballymun, was recently involved in a High Court battle with a shooting enthusiast who he refused to grant a gun licence to. The legal challenge was eventually settled.

Ó Cualáin has been central to the Garda crackdown on drug-related crime in Galway city. He has been in charge of policing all Garda divisions in the county.

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter approved the appointment of the two Assistant Commissioners, as well as eight Chief Superintendents and 23 Superintendents after a cabinet meeting yesterday.

The eight chief superintendents have been named as:

The 23 new superintendents are:

• Superintendent Joseph Prendergast – Kildare District
• Superintendent John J. Keane – Castlebar District
• Superintendent Gerard Russell – Carrickmacross District
• Superintendent Alan Cunningham – Bruff District
• Superintendent William Carolan – Enniscorthy District
• Superintendent James Ryan – Castlerea District
• Detective Superintendent Andrew Watters – Liaison & Protection
• Detective Superintendent Stephen Courage – Garda National Drugs Unit
• Superintendent Mary Delmar – Communications Centre
• Superintendent Colm Fox – Swinford District
• Superintendent George Kyne – Blessington District
• Detective Superintendent John O’Reilly – Monaghan
• Superintendent Finbarr Murphy – Tramore District
• Detective Superintendent John Nolan – Technical Bureau
• Superintendent Derek Smart – Clonakilty District
• Superintendent Patrick Conlon – Wexford District
• Superintendent Aiden Foley – Westport District
• Superintendent Paul Hogan – Wicklow District
• Superintendent Michael Leacy – Dungarvan District
• Superintendent Patrick L. McGinn – Ballyshannon District
• Superintendent Sean Farrell – Ballyconnell District
• Superintendent Michael Fitzpatrick – Listowel District
• Superintendent Declan Goode – DMR Traffic

Shatter has advised that the force’s numbers will be 13,511 by the end of this month. Despite the reduction in personnel, he said that the new appointments “reflect the commitment of the government to maintain the supervisory and management ranks…at the highest level possible.”

Minster for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin has also sanctioned the appointment of replacements at the sergeant and inspector levels by the Garda Commissioner.

However there remains at least another 28 vacant posts across the top ranks of An Garda Síochána.

More: Government approves appointment of 33 senior gardaí>