McDowell defends wife's remarks
Last week, Niamh Brennan said she would not report an attack to the gardaí after an assault on her son, Hugh, was leaked to a tabloid newspaper.
However, at yesterday's National Ploughing Championships at Ballinabrackey, Co Meath, the minister said his wife spoke for herself and as a mother protecting her child. She was entitled to do that.
Mr McDowell said as far his wife was concerned, every member of An Garda Síochána she had met was fantastic. He said a couple of people were doing a lot of damage by unauthorised leaks.
Mr McDowell said his wife had not given the impression she did not trust any gardaí. The media had given that impression.
"She said the exact opposite. She thought every garda she ever met was fantastic," he said.
However, Mr McDowell's comments appear to directly contradict direct quotes made by his wife to the Sunday Times when she said: "If it happened again I would be reluctant to get the gardaí involved," she said.
Mr McDowell said, unfortunately, the media had turned that around in its headlines and gave the impression she did not trust the gardaí. That was all wrong.
"The vast majority of the Garda Síochána are wonderful and I have huge confidence in them," he said.
Asked if he trusted the media less now because of the way it treated the story, he said that it was not a question of him trusting the media.
"I think the vast majority of the media is as good as the vast majority of the gardaí," he said.
On the proposed garda inspectorate, he said if it had to investigate every allegation against the force, such as claims of rudeness, it would have to be about 2,000 strong.
He said his aim was to set up an inspectorate to deal with serious matters and matters of less importance would be dealt with by the ordinary disciplinary system. Questioned about rumours of ill treatment of homeless and marginalised boys by gardaí in Dublin, he said he would take any allegations very seriously.
"I want to emphasise that the vast majority of the gardaí are men and women who are doing a wonderful job for the people of Ireland and, to echo what my wife said recently, every one I have met has been doing a fantastic job," he said.
