Howlin has no regrets over corruption claims

A LABOUR TD yesterday said he has no regrets that unsubstantiated allegations against a senior member of An Garda Síochána led to the setting up of the Morris Tribunal.

Brendan Howlin told the inquiry that although he did not know the original source of the accusations, the first five reports from the hearing which is investigating garda corruption in Donegal have been justified.

Mr Howlin, Labour’s justice spokesman, said he was first aware of the claims when the matter was raised by Fine Gael’s Jim Higgins in the Dáil in May 1999. He said this was followed with a telephone call from criminal lawyer Martin Giblin in October in which he maintained the McBrearty family were being victimised and an individual had been framed for murder.