Almost half of all Garda superintendents and chief superintendents have been assigned to new posts by Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan.

The extent of the change is unprecedented in the force’s 93-year history.

The management shake-up is designed to rebrand and reform the Garda after a period of sustained controversy and in the face of significant criticism.

Some 40 officers have been assigned to their new posts after promotion and a further 53 have been transferred to new positions, though they remain at their existing rank.

At chief superintendent level, there are six promotions into the rank and 12 transfers. The 18 officers moving represent 41 per cent of all chief superintendents in the force.

And the 34 promotions into the rank of superintendent combined with the 41 transfers at that level represents 45 per cent of all superintendents in the force.

The promotions were anticipated, but the scale of the transfers was a surprise and is the biggest reshuffle of the force in the history of the State.

The extent of the changes were last night being interpreted within the force as Commissioner O’Sullivan “putting her stamp on” the Garda and making clear she was determined to reform the force.

The management reshuffle represents her most significant action since being formally appointed in November. She had been in the post on an interim basis for nine months.

Under the latest changes, a number of the highest profile units in the force have new officers in control and a large number of geographic divisions are also under new management.

The units with new management include: Garda Bureau Fraud Investigation; Garda Professional Standards Unit; Garda National Traffic Bureau; Garda National Immigration Bureau; Garda National Drug Unit and Organised Crime Unit; National Bureau of Criminal Investigation; Child Protection and Human Exploitation Unit.

The divisions with new officers in charge include: Westmeath; Kilkenny-Carlow; Mayo; Kildare, Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) West; Wicklow; DMR South Central; DMR North.

“These allocations, and the resulting additional changes at these ranks, are a critical element of our transformation programme,” Commissioner O’Sullivan said.

“They will allow us to develop the new structures, units and approaches required to ensure we are providing the best possible service to the public.”

Organised crime

Following on from the widespread criticisms of the Garda’s approach to investigating crime contained in a major review Garda Inspectorate, a number of structural changes for the force have also been unveiled.

A new “strategic transformation office” has been established to manage the reform programme that has arisen from the Inspectorate’s report and recent controversies, including those involving penalty points.

The Garda National Drugs Unit and Organised Crime Unit have been combined to target organised gangs.

“Risk compliance and continuous improvement” offices have been established in each region to standardise policing processes and monitor the implementation of new initiatives such as victim support services, which the inspectorate had strongly criticised.

Detective superintendents in the regions will take responsibility for crime investigation, crime prevention and pro-active policing in their areas. This is seen as a decentralisation of powers from mostly Dublin based specialist units.

A new chief superintendent’s post has been established to oversee the new Child Protection, Domestic Violence and Human Exploitation Unit.

The commissioner said the placement of new officers in these new roles meant they would develop the skills and capacity needed to bring about the planned reforms across the force.

“Along with other key elements of the transformation plan, these changes will help deliver a victim-centred, community-focused police service that seeks to prevent crime in the first instance and then, when it does occur, investigates it professionally and thoroughly,” she said.