Shatter: I didn’t mislead Dáil on GSOC

Justice Minister Alan Shatter has denied misleading the Dáil and insisted that the Garda ombudsman never told him of his suspicions that the office of GSOC was under surveillance.

In an interview with RTÉ’s Prime Time, Mr Shatter said the account he gave to TDs during which he stated no bugging had taken place was based exactly on what ombudsman Simon O’Brien told him during the oral briefing, along with a written briefing and a press release.

“I am being accused by my political opponents of misleading the Dáil,” he said. “I went into the Dáil and set out in the Dáil the information furnished to me. That is the position, that remains the position.”

Mr Shatter accused the Garda ombudsman of giving “confusing and contradictory” evidence to the Oireachtas Oversight Committee when he told the committee that he believed GSOC was under some sort of surveillance.

He has asked the Garda ombudsman to clarify the confusion that had arisen.

“I was told the story that I told the Dáil,” he said. “There is now some confusion arising from the four hours of hearings that took place. My concern regarding that has resulted in me writing to GSOC requesting these matters be clarified.”

Mr Shatter also rejected widespread calls for an independent inquiry.

“They have advised me there is no definitive evidence of eavesdropping on their offices so I am not entirely certain what that inquiry is to undertake,” he said.

“It suggests that we don’t have confidence in GSOC, if there’s a need for someone else to inquire into GSOC’s own inquiry.”

Mr Shatter’s account will place further pressure on Mr O’Brien as Garda commissioner Martin Callinan is expected to deliver a strong defence of the force today ahead of further media revelations on Sunday.

Senior Garda sources yesterday indicated Mr Callinan will voice strong criticism of GSOC for naming gardaí as suspects for the bugging of its offices when gardaí insist there is no evidence.

“He will clearly and unequivocally state that no member, or former member, of An Garda Síochána indulged in such activity,” said the source.

“They did not, would not, have not. But gardaí are being dragged through the mud here, without a scintilla of evidence.”

The expected media revelations on Sunday, which may include the reasons why GSOC launched its surveillance operation, will “fuel” the crisis between the police watchdog and the gardaí and will further embroil the Government.

Mr O’Brien has distanced himself from potential “banana skins” that may surface from the British surveillance report and has already warned both Mr Shatter and the Garda commissioner of their content.