Talk to me first, Kenny tells ministers

A clearly annoyed Taoiseach delivered a sharp message to his Coalition partners and his own ministers, telling them to talk to him first before going public with issues.

Mr Kenny said Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan was in charge of the day-to-day running of the force and “deserves absolute respect”. He again refused to take issue with the commissioner’s reference to whistleblowers as “disgusting”, saying the relationship between Taoiseach and Commissioner “has to be completely professional”.

The Taoiseach was responding to Labour leader, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore after he supported fellow Labour ministers Joan Burton and Pat Rabbitte, who said it would be helpful if Mr Callinan withdrew his remark to the Public Accounts Committee.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar of Fine Gael made similar comments, thanking the two gardaí who brought the penalty points scandal to public notice.

Mr Kenny, asked if his ministers’ remarks were helpful for maintaining trust in the gardaí, said: “I have a preference if any minister has an issue to raise, they would raise it at Cabinet or raise it where we could have discussions and deal with them rather than have them aired in public. I’m not saying people have to be restricted in their views on anything, but there is a process by which these things should be dealt with.”

Mr Kenny said he recognised that the changes taking place in An Garda Síochána were as a result of the whistleblowers’ report, adding that they were not the only whistleblowers in various sectors of Irish life.

“I think of the courage of Christine Buckley and what she did to bring to light a sordid event.”

He quickly added that it was important there be public trust in the Garda system, and public confidence in the new system to deal with complaints about the gardaí.

“I make the point that the Garda commissioner himself has acknowledged that gardaí who bring matters to his attention will be dealt with properly, and that Garda management was cooperating in putting in a clearly accountable, transparent, effective system that would be beyond the reach of any pressure,” he said.

Mr Kenny said the commissioner had clarified his comments and the context in which he made them.

“I acknowledge that these issues came to light through the work of whistleblowers and because of that fact there are a series of fundamental changes being made,” he said.