Deasy hits out at Shatter over whistleblowers

A Fine Gael backbencher has hit out at Justice Minister Alan Shatter over his handling of the Garda whistleblower controversy, saying the Government should acknowledge that they “did the State some service”.

Waterford TD and member of the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee, John Deasy, is just one of three Fine Gael backbenchers to publicly back Transport Minister Leo Varadkar’s position on the issue.

Many of the party’s TDs would not comment publicly on the issue and said — while they are awaiting the outcome of today’s cabinet discussions — they are concerned the controversy has become damaging.

Last Thursday, Mr Varadkar called for a withdrawal of remarks about the whistleblowers made by Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan when he told the PAC last January that their actions were “disgusting”.

The minister said yesterday he did not want to make any further comments, but that his position had not changed. “I said what I said at the Road Safety conference. I’m not resiling from my position and I don’t want to say any more at this stage — at least until we’ve had a chance to discuss it at cabinet.”

Mr Deasy said: “I agree totally with Leo. The commissioner should withdraw his remarks. I think Minister Shatter has handled this entire affair very badly, and Leo is correct — the Government needs to sort this out once and for all.”

He said he believes that a report on penalty points cancellations by the Garda Ombudsman Commission will confirm the findings of the Garda Inspectorate report. That report makes clear that whistleblowers John Wilson and Maurice McCabe were “correct in their assertions”, he said.

Wicklow TD and PAC member Simon Harris also said it would be “helpful” if Mr Callinan withdrew the remarks.

The Ireland South candidate for the forthcoming European elections said “disgusting” was not an appropriate word for any boss to use about an employee.

Junior Minister Brian Hayes refused to back Mr Varadkar saying “collective cabinet responsibility requires people in the first instance to speak in cabinet”.

He said: “It’s better when Government works collectively on these issues.”

Where Fine Gael TDs stand

-Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central):

“The matter needs to be brought to conclusion...You have politicians at one level calling for independent oversight of the gardaí, and at the same time calling for the commissioner to comment. We shouldn’t politicise commissioner or the gardaí. They should be above politics.”

-Simon Harris (Wicklow):

“I think it would certainly be very helpful if he would withdraw the word ‘disgusting’. I was at the PAC meeting, the context in which he used the word was very clear to us in the meeting. This situation is going on so long, it’s in everyone’s interest to clear this up.

“The word ‘disgusting’ is not a word any employer should ever use about any employee. If we take it back to simply being a workplace, the word does not sit well at all.

“On the issue of whether Alan Shatter should withdraw the Dáil record, the minister was reporting on information he had received. If he had put anything on the Dáil record other than what he received, then he would have been in trouble.”

-John Deasy (Waterford):

“I agree totally with Leo, the commissioner should withdraw his remarks. I think Minister Shatter has handled this entire affair very badly. The Government needs to sort this out once and for all.

“From the standpoint of problem solving and dealing with an issue of public importance, the Government’s response needs to be more definitive. I think it is to date centred on the character of thee individuals involved. It needs to focus on the actual detail of the issue.”

-John Paul Phelan (Carlow Kilkenny):

“I was a bit shocked as everyone else was with the choice of words that the commissioner used at the PAC. I do think the commissioner should correct the record really and not use language like that about the whistleblower issue in general. He should withdraw the statement.”

-John O’Mahony (Mayo):

“It needs to be brought to a conclusion and the cabinet table is the place to do that. What has been said has been said but I think it’s important that the collective cabinet bring the whole issue to a conclusion, because at this stage if it continues much longer, it’s becoming a distraction.”