DUBLIN, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Ireland's Police Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan on Sunday announced she is retiring from the national police service.
O'Sullivan notified Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan of her intention to retire from the country's highest police position.
O'Sullivan was the first woman to become Ireland's police commissioner. She has been a member of the force for 36 years, serving at every rank.
In her role as head of the national police service, she had been seen several police controversies, including the falsification of breath tests, financial irregularities at the police college and questions about the treatment of whistleblowers.
The government continued to defended her and she insisted she was not guilt of anything.
Despite the majority of TDs (members of parliament) wanting her to go, she indicated she would not be standing down.
Meanwhile, Flanagan said he is appointing Deputy Police Commissioner Donall O Cualain as acting police commissioner, with effect from Sunday midnight.
In a statement, Flanagan spoke highly of O'Sullivan's 36-year public service to the country in a variety of roles in the national police service, which ranged from under-cover detective work in Dublin's inner city in the 1980s to being appointed to the most senior position in the service in March 2014.
The Irish justice minister said that during her tenure, she was faced with particularly significant difficulties, many of which had built up over several decades.
