All this talk of an international head-hunt for a new Garda commissioner seems to equate it to getting Jack Charlton or Giovanni Trapattoni to manage a struggling Irish soccer team.
The candidate would occupy a sensitive and key role in our State’s security apparatus, in a world where our interests might not coincide with those of whatever state produced the new commissioner.
Shouldn’t that person be a citizen of our State? Assuming one has to trawl outside the ranks of gardaí, is our country so bereft of talent that leaders of honour and integrity cannot be found in the Army or civil service? If it is so bereft, should we advertise that to the world?
Pádraig Lenihan Dangan Upper, Galway (Irish Times Friday 15th)
