After 6 reports, 2 resignations and 1 apology … Shatter finally quits
The 300-page report by senior counsel, Sean Guerin, to be published tomorrow, will recommend a wide scale statutory inquiry into the allegations first presented by garda whistleblower, Sergeant Maurice McCabe, in 2012.
The report was ordered in February following claims that a dossier of files outlining allegations of malpractice in the force was in the possession of the Department of Justice for two years without being dealt with.
Enda Kenny established the inquiry after being presented with the dossier by the Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin.
Announcing the minister’s resignation yesterday, Mr Kenny said the Guerin report is “hard hitting” and points to an “inadequate response” by the minister “under his statutory function and responsibilities for independent investigation and analysis of these matters”.
“It is his feeling as a minister that this finding of the senior counsel of inadequate use of his statutory responsibilities requires him to tender his resignation.”
Mr Shatter, who has been rocked by a series of controversies in recent months, was not present when Mr Kenny made the announcement to the Dáil at 4.30pm yesterday.
In his letter of resignation to the Taoiseach, he said he had not read the full report but agreed with its conclusions.
Mr Shatter said that it was appropriate that a statutory inquiry would be established.
But he said he “would not be honest” if he did not record his concerns and reservations” that he was not interviewed by Mr Guerin as part of his inquiry.
Senior Labour ministers, who stood four square behind Mr Shatter through a range of scandals, didn’t know of his decision to step down until it was announced to the House.
A spate of scandals surrounding justice and policing issues in recent months has already resulted in garda commissioner, Martin Callinan, and garda confidential recipient, Oliver Connolly, resigning.
It has also resulted in the establishment of the Fennelly inquiry into the taping of phone calls at garda stations, the Cooke inquiry into allegations of bugging at GSOC, and a number of inquiries into the cancellation of penalty points by senior members of the force.
Mr Shatter’s position has been on the line ever since the dossier was handed to the Taoiseach.
The most serious of the cases involved the murder in Limerick in 2007 of Silvia Roche Kelly, whose killer was out on bail for another serious assault.
One element of the case was investigated by GSOC which recommended disciplinary action against two officers. The Garda commissioner declined to discipline the officers.
Mr Martin said last night that Mr Shatter’s handling of this and other matters “clearly placed him under a cloud and fundamentally undermined the administration of justice”.
The Government will announce a new minister for justice today. Speculation is focused on Children’s Minister, Frances Fitzgerald, Agriculture Minister, Simon Coveney, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar, and Fine Gael party chairman Charlie Flanagan.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
