Coalition bids to defuse internal crisis with Callinan's withdrawal
And so it will be over the next 48 hours when Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan is expected to withdraw his comments — made two months ago — about the actions of whistleblowers being “disgusting”.
He will do so just in time to take the heat out of tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting where a showdown is expected between Justice Minister Alan Shatter and Transport Minister Leo Varadkar.
The withdrawal will not be driven by the need to acknowledge the hurt and offence which the “disgusting” comments caused to the whistleblowers. Nor will it be in the interest of undoing a wrong done to them and their good names.
Instead, the imperative will be entirely political: defuse the crisis within the split Coalition — the biggest it has faced since it came into office — and to save the skins of both Mr Shatter and Mr Callinan.
The developments over recent days are such that anything short of a withdrawal of the remarks at this stage would not wash.
Once Mr Varadkar blew the controversy wide open again by saying on Thursday that a withdrawal would be “appropriate”, there was never going to be an easy way to back out of it for the Government.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said on Friday that ministers should raise issues in private, around the cabinet table. But it would appear that if the issue had been handled better from day one, Mr Varadkar might not have had to speak out in the way that he had.
This newspaper reported on Saturday that Mr Varadkar has been trying in vain for over a month to have a one-to-one meeting with Mr Shatter to discuss the affair (an allegation denied by the justice minister).
It was reported yesterday Mr Varadkar was furious that a Garda Inspectorates report on the penalty points issue was presented to the Cabinet the Thursday before last, when he was out of the country. This is despite the fact that it was given to Mr Shatter in January. Once Mr Varadkar made the comments that he did, Labour was left on the back foot.
The junior coalition partner has throughout the past two months failed to demand a withdrawal of the comments. But once the transport minister spoke, Labour decided it could not be made to look more weak on the issue.
Ministers Joan Burton and Pat Rabbitte rowed in behind Mr Varadkar’s call and were supported by their leader, Eamon Gilmore. Education Minister Ruairi Quinn boldly defied the Taoiseach’s plea not to air views on the issue by issuing a statement supporting his colleagues.
It was a split in coalition that could only be deepened if Mr Callinan and Mr Shatter dug in their heels.
Mr Kenny will hope tensions are eased through a withdrawal of Mr Callinan’s remarks, and a united cabinet can stand fully behind Mr Shatter when the penalty points issue is discussed in the Dáil on Thursday.
But with three vital reports relating to issues in the gardaí due over the coming three weeks, the problems for Mr Shatter and the Coalition are not going away.
By Cormac O’Keeffe
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan is expected to withdraw his “disgusting” comments levelled at two garda whistleblowers, but he will not be apologising for his remarks.
Insiders have said there is “no question” of him resigning.
Garda management is still very unhappy at the extent to which Pulse data was accessed and disclosed by the whistleblowers.
One source said very serious allegations of criminality and corruption were made against named officers, most of which were deemed to be untrue by the internal O’Mahoney investigation.
The source said the position of the commissioner had received “considerable support” from the Data Protection Commissioner last Friday. Billy Hawkes criticised the whistleblowers for continuing to access and disclose Pulse data after lodging their complaints.
Garda management are very unhappy at how the whistleblowers have been portrayed by the media and criticise how general statements have been accepted as fact.
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