Tribunal hears claim of Bruton phone call

FORMER Taoiseach John Bruton ordered party colleague Jim Higgins to ease off on raising the issue of garda corruption in the Dáil, the Morris Tribunal was told yesterday.

A barrister, representing Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins, said his client was told to stop making representations for the McBrearty family, who claimed they were subjected to garda harassment in Donegal.

From 1999, Mr Higgins, then the party’s justice spokesman, rigorously pressed the Government to investigate allegations of corruption in the county.