Minister refuses to say sorry to whistleblower
Taoiseach Enda Kenny also failed to mention Mr McCabe or his treatment in his remarks on allegations of malpractice in the force, which he made to a group of business leaders yesterday, after which he declined to take any questions from the media.
Mr Shatter told the Dáil in October that two gardaí failed to co-operate with an internal inquiry into the cancellation of penalty points — despite Mr McCabe having written to both him and the Taoiseach expressing frustration that he was not interviewed.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has called on Mr Shatter to “make a comprehensive statement in the House on the entire affair” and apologise to Mr McCabe “for wronging him through the allegation of non-cooperation”.
Mr Shatter failed to address the issue in his statement last night on the dismissal of garda confidential recipient, Oliver Connolly, over a transcript of a conversation he had with Mr McCabe in February 2012, in which he advised that Mr Shatter will “go after you”.
Mr Shatter said that “rumours were circulating for some time regarding the existence of an alleged tape and transcript of a confidential conversation”.
Although he told the Dáil on Tuesday, February 11, that he did not know anything about the meeting that had taken place, Mr Shatter last night said he had looked into the matter a fortnight ago.
He said his department contacted Mr Connolly two weeks ago “outlining my concerns that, if the conversation as reported had taken place, then his actions had undermined the office of the confidential recipient”.
During contacts with the confidential recipient over the following two weeks, Mr Connolly failed to “unequivocally repudiate the content of the alleged conversation”, Mr Shatter said.
“I had no alternative but to relieve him of the position.”
It has also emerged that Mr Kenny was alerted to the conversation in a letter from Mr McCabe on May 27 last year. In correspondence on his allegations of penalty point cancellations, Mr McCabe told Mr Kenny: “It is suffice to say my figures are correct, my allegations are correct, and despite receiving information that Mr Shatter would ‘go after me’ if I brought the matter further, I am standing firm.”
Opposition parties are calling for a special Dáil debate on the matter and the Fianna Fáil whip last night wrote to the Government chief whip asking that time be set aside.
During tetchy exchanges yesterday in the Dáil yesterday, Mr Martin said it was a “significant indictment” of Social Protection Minister Joan Burton and her judgment that she would not agree to his proposal that Mr Shatter come into the Dáil and “exonerate” the whistleblower.
Ms Burton was taking Leaders’ Questions yesterday and was pressed on whether the record should be corrected and an apology granted.
Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said Mr Shatter had made a “complete and inappropriate slur against the whistleblower in October and has still failed to correct the public record”.
In Brussels, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore was asked if Mr Shatter should correct the record of the Dáil in relation to his comments about Mr McCabe.
The Tánaiste’s response failed to address the question: “I think some very serious allegations have been made. I think the information that was provided contains some very serious matters.
“I think that, in the first instance, that if there is any further information that either the opposition parties or anybody else has that needs to be looked into, I think that that information should be provided.”
Meanwhile, the dismissal of Mr Connolly has been criticised by John Devitt of Transparency International Ireland, who said it leaves members of the force without anyone to turn to. He said plans to change the law — to allow gardaí to raise concerns directly with the Garda Ombudsman — could “drag on for some time”.
Speaking about two garda whistleblowers: “Having engaged with Members of this House and published material, they did not co-operate with the Garda investigations that took place. I do not know why that was the case. There is no question of anyone being victimised.”
“I am very curious about this matter that is floating around. There is a reference to some transcript to which I am not privy. I do not know anything about the meeting which took place nor do I know how the transcript was created. I do not know whether it was an agreed transcript of a conversation which allegedly took place between the confidential recipient and Sgt McCabe. I do not know selectively what is being quoted from it. All I can say to deputies is that there is no question in any circumstances of me threatening anyone or authorising anyone to threaten anyone and the suggestion is absolutely outrageous. However, I understand this is something Deputies Mick Wallace and Clare Daly have been trying to peddle for the best part of two years. I have never been privy to the information or documentation — the detailed transcript which apparently they have.”
“While rumours were circulating for some time regarding the existence of an alleged tape and transcript of a confidential conversation between Mr Connolly and Sgt Maurice McCabe, given the importance of the office’s confidentiality, no justice minister could properly seek out such a transcript or tape. “However, following an alleged extract from the alleged tape being placed on the Dáil record, I asked my department two weeks ago to contact Mr Connolly outlining my concerns that, if the conversation as reported had taken place, then his actions had undermined the office of the Confidential Recipient.”
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