Callinan timeline: From initial success to ignominious end
This was an unrivalled success, containing protests from discontented and disconnected groups while the eyes of the world were on Ireland.
But that management success proved to be in marked contrast to Callinan’s botched handling of disquiet within his own ranks and the political pressure on him to account for his organisation.
Failures by him and the minister he was answerable to, Alan Shatter, to get grips with the issues appeared to be based on the belief it would all go away.
In reality whenever he got respite from criticism in the last 12 months the next controversy was merely drawing its breath.
Justice minister Dermot Ahern appoints Martin Callinan to replace Fachtna Murphy as Garda Commissioner.
Garda Commissioner Callianan and the new Justice minister Alan Shatter strike up a good relationship while working closely to organise the successful security arrangements for the visits of President Barack Obama and England’s Queen Elizabeth II.
The Garda Confidential Recipient appointed by Mr Shatter, Oliver Connolly, receives a complaint from a garda whistleblowers against Comm Callinan and it was given to the Commissioner to address. It was dismissed.
Whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe meets with Mr Connolly to discuss his concerns about misconduct in the force and is told that if Mr Shatter thought he was being got at he would be screwed. The conversation was taped.
A member of an Garda Siochana contacted the Comptroller and Auditor General seeking a meeting in which 4,000 cases of alleged penalty point irregularities were identified.
The chief executive of the Road Safety Authority had was also given information on the allegations about the misuse of the penalty points notices.
Four independent TDs use the Dail to try to highlight the allegations made by the whistleblowers, Sgt McCabe and retired garda John Wilson. They revealed celebrity figures had benefited from getting their penalty points cleared for no apparent reason.
Mr Callinan comes out to say it was “very unfair” to suggest there was any culture of wrongdoing in the force.
Independent TD Clare Daly, who was at the forefront of the campaign to expose garda wrongdoing, was arrested on the way home from the Dail and handcuffed for suspected drink driving. This information was almost immediately leaked to the media.
A week after she was handcuffed and arrested for a minor road traffic error Deputy Daly is told her sample was “well below” the legal limit. A Garda Ombudsman compliant is made about the incident and how it was leaked.
The then Irish Independent journalist Gemma O’Doherty chases a lead that the Garda Commissioner was among the high profile figures who had their penalty points wiped. She is subsequently made redundant after being chastised by the newspaper’s management for knocking on the Commissioner door to confirm his address. Comm Callinan later explains he was caught speeding while attending a work function.
A Garda Ombudsman report is published into the handling of the drug smuggler and undocumented garda informer Kieran Boylan. The Ombudsman said the report was delayed because of a lack of cooperation from the Gardaí. Mr Callinan rejected the criticism.
An internal Garda report into the penalty points allegations finds that there was no evidence of corruption or deception. It revealed three senior members of the force would face disciplinary proceedings.
Alan Shatter uses a Primetime debate with Mick Wallace to reveal that the independent deputy had been stopped for using his mobile phone while driving but avoided getting penalty points due to garda discretion.
Mr Shatter announces that it was the Garda Commissioner who informed him of the incident where Mr Wallace benefited from discretion. But the Minister denied he had been given the information to tarnish a political opponent. He said he had not sought the information on Mr Wallace but the Commissioner volunteered it.
It emerges that the Garda Ombudsman was denied access to certain information it needed for its investigations, including details on the arrest of Clare Daly TD.
It is reported that Min Shatter was stopped at a Garda checkpoint but refused to take a breathalyser test because he is asthmatic.
Mr Callinan is eligible for retirement but is asked by the Government to remain on for an extra two years.
The Comptroller and Auditor General publishes a damning report into the penalty points scandal finding that there had been significant weaknesses in the system. It supports the claims made by the whistleblowers.
Minister Shatter gives incorrect information to the Dail by telling TDs that the two whistleblowers had not cooperated with an internal Garda inquiry, by assistant commissioner John O’Mahoney, into the penalty points issues. It later emerges they had not been asked to cooperate.
The Public Accounts Committee becomes the focal point for the battle. Mr Callinan writes to the Public Accounts Committee, after receiving advice from the Attorney General, demanding the return of files provided by the whistleblowers.
One of the whistleblowers, Ret garda Wilson, takes a High Court case challenging the findings of an internal disciplinary report.
Mr Callinan writes to the PAC again, after it rejected his requests to hand over the files, reiterating his belief that they should be returned to him as data controller. He said it was an offence for members of the gardaí to give that information to committee.
Mr Callinan appears before the Public Accounts Committee to account for his handling of the penalty points issue. He makes the fateful remark that the actions of two garda whistleblowers in a force of 13,000 was “quite disgusting”.
It emerges that the Commissioner is prepared to take a High Court action to prevent one of the whistleblowers, a serving garda, from appearing before the PAC. He ultimately decides not to.
Minister Alan Shatters announces that GSOC will conduct a new inquiry into the penalty points allegations.
Following an agreement between PAC members Sgt McCabe gives evidence behind closed doors for three hours and is described as a credible witness.
Independent TD Mick Wallace uses Dail privilege to read into the record extracts of the 2012 conversation between the whistleblower, Sgt McCabe and the confidential recipient Mr Connolly.
The Sunday Times reveals that a UK security company had been called in by GSOC and found three potential attempts to bug the office. The sweep was instigated following a comment made by the Garda Commissioner at a meeting regarding the Kieran Boylan investigation.
GSOC is summoned to Min Shatter’s office to explain why it had not made him aware of the suspected bugging sooner.
Fianna Fail’s Niall Collins follows Mr Wallace and reads extracts from the conversation between Sgt McCabe and the Garda Confidential Recipient in to the Dail record. On the same day Mr Callinan and GSOC chairman Simon O’Brien meet to discuss the suggestion that the gardaí may have been responsible for the attempt to bug its office.
The Department of Justice is ordered to prepare a report on the transcript of the conversation between Sgt McCabe and Mr Connolly. Meanwhile Mr Shatter and Mr Callinan agree to overhaul the penalty points system. In his statement the Commissioner bizarrely claims that his use of the word “disgusting” at the PAC meeting was not directed at the whistleblowers when it obviously was.
Mr Callinan feels compelled to release a statement stating that he has full confidence in GSOC and said he is entirely satisfied no member of the force was involved in eavesdropping on its office.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny stuns the Dail by announcing that the Garda Confidential Recipient had been sacked after failing to provide reassurances on the nature of his conversation with Sgt McCabe. Meanwhile, Minister Shatter appoints retired High Court judge John Cooke to investigate the suspected bugging of GSOC.
Criminal barrister Sean Guerin is asked to review the penalty points dossier supplied by whistleblowers Sgt McCabe and retired garda Wilson and decide if a full inquiry is required.
The ousted Garda Confidential Recipient, Oliver Connolly, makes a statement blaming his demise on political posturing and a lack of balance in the media.
The Garda Inspectorate publishes a report which finds major failings with the penalty points system and vindicates many of the concerns raised by the whistleblowers.
The Taoiseach praises the work of the two Garda whistleblowers but refuses back calls for an apology from Min Shatter and Mr Callinan. March 21, 2014 Transport Minister Leo Varadkar heaps pressure on Mr Callinan by praising the Garda whistleblowers and calling their actions “distinguished”.
The Labour Party ministers row in behind Min Varadkar and during the day defy the Taoiseach’s request to keep criticisms of Mr Callinan private.
Ministers Varadkar and Shatter meet to discuss the dispute on Comm Callinan’s comments.
Before the Cabinet meets to discuss the controversy Mr Callinan announced he is leaving his job with immediate effect.
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