Department of Justice to be split into two ‘internal wings’

The Department of Justice is facing reform to separate policing and security into two internal wings, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced.

Under plans to be implemented this year, there will continue to be one Justice Minister and one secretary general of the Department, but two deputy secretaries general overseeing the wings.

The reform plans follow a series of controversies, including the handling of Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe.

Mr Varadkar (pictured) said it was possible he would “go one further and split it into two fully separate departments at a later date”.

However, he said such a plan would face a “slight complication” due to the constitutional limit on the number of senior Cabinet ministers.