The UK and US are amongst the international pool of applicants for a top-tier national security post in Ireland, due to a lack of local interest. The Deputy Commissioner role, responsible for policing and security, has remained unoccupied since March. Despite government attempts to fill the position, eligible Irish candidates have been discouraged from applying due to potential heavy taxations on their pensions should they end up with a higher salary.
The role typically obtains applications from candidates of an Assistant Commissioner rank, although seven out of eight existing commissioners have declined to apply. The government re-launched their campaign to find a candidate just four weeks ago, specifically targeting those with a strong comprehension of Irish policing specifics.
Currently, one application has been confirmed from Jonathan Roberts, who is the Assistant Commissioner for governance and accountability. Roberts, formerly a PSNI member for 25 years before securing his current post, wouldn’t be significantly affected by the pension tax controversy.
This would mean that, if Roberts is appointed, all three senior Garda roles would be held by officers from outside Ireland. The current Garda Commissioner is Drew Harris from Northern Ireland, whilst Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon is Canadian.
Assistant commissioners have written to Harris and Policing Authority chair, Elaine Byrne, requesting an extension of the application deadline to rectify the pension issue. The deadline was extended by a week, shorty before closure, last Thursday.
There is uncertainty about whether the Government is going to have a discussion with the deputy commissioners concerning the pension problem within the timeline set. A response from the Department of Justice is being awaited.
The six deputy commissioners, born in the Republic, have voiced their dissatisfaction because a new hiring contest was initiated without first addressing their grievances. Gardaí fear that the pension regulations could impose hefty tax burdens on them – ranging from €300,000 for current deputy commissioners upon retirement, with an increase up to €500,000 for their superiors.
The legislation, formulated in 2014, demand that public employees pay tax on their pensions if the worth exceeds €2 million. This tax applies to the entire pension packet, inclusive of the initial lump sum payout.
In specific scenarios, this denotes that higher-ranking Garda may end up with a diminished pension if they opt for a higher-paid ranking prior to retiring. They are requesting some reduction on these pension tax bills before they consider promotions.
The Government, earlier in the year, assured to evaluate the tax system to alleviate these worries. The evaluation has been carried out and presented to the Finance Minister. However, its suggestions are still to be laid out.
A spokesperson from the Department of Justice affirmed the extension of the deadline by a week. Justice Minister Helen McEntee plans to assign someone to the position by autumn, the spokesperson mentioned.
The spokesperson added that Ms McEntee is “cognizant of the worries of the An Garda Síochána’s upper rank officers.” However, the decision to modify the pension tax rests with the Minister for Finance and can only be reviewed during the ongoing budgeting procedures.
“The Minister for Finance is presently contemplating the review, and in the forthcoming weeks, the Government will contemplate the future course of action. This tax law applies to all employees, both public and private, with a pension exceeding a certain limit and is a matter for the Department of Finance,” he said.