One of the most senior Garda officers has left his position amid growing annoyance at all ranks in the force over pay levels. Assistant Commissioner Tom King told The Irish Times last night that he had not resigned but was "retiring" after 32 years in the force. He will receive a pension.
He would not comment on the issue of pay and conditions. "This is a decision with no agenda," he said.
Mr King (52) is in charge of the Dublin Metropolitan Area (DMA) and was in charge of security for the visits of President Clinton and Prince Charles. He could have served for another eight years before official retirement age.
He had no definite idea as to what he would do next. "I made a decision to retire and and I'll make a further decision later about my future life. Leaving the force is a big decision and had to be made all by itself."
Mr King added that it would be "interesting to see what is out there,".
"If I stayed on and became a deputy commissioner then I'd be in for the duration." It was an appropriate time to make the decision, he said. "I was not at all unhappy. I loved the job, the challenge. Things were going well ."
Earlier last night, the Garda Commissioner, Mr Patrick Byrne, expressed regret at Mr King's departure and voiced concern that pay levels, particularly for officers in managerial ranks, were damaging the force.
He said Mr King's resignation "is an indication of things to come." Other senior officers have left in recent times to take up posts in the private sector.
Concern among senior officers stems from their being paid considerably less than their counterparts in the RUC and British police forces. An officer of chief superintendent rank in the Garda Siochana is paid about £10,000 less than his RUC counterpart. At the most senior level, the Garda Commissioner is paid more than £40,000 less than the RUC Chief Constable.
Commenting on Mr King's resignation, Mr Byrne said: "I am sad that he has decided to retire from the Garda Siochana. We had worked closely together throughout our careers. In the past few weeks we have discussed it but it will come as a shock and surprise to many people in the force.
"I have no doubt he will do very well in the private sector. He is tremendously capable. I think it is an indication of what is going to come."
Mr King is the best-known officer in the force after the Commissioner. In the past year he introduced the highly-successful Operation Dochas in Dublin, aimed at moving drug dealers off the streets.