Statutory inquiry into garda smear allegations

A statutory inquiry into allegations that senior management in the gardaí conducted a smear campaign against Sergeant Maurice McCabe is expected to be announced next week.

The scoping report into the matter conducted by former High Court Judge Iarlaigh O’Neill is being examined by the Attorney General to see whether it can in part or in full be published. Sources in the department suggest that if published at all it will be heavily redacted.

Judge O’Neill’s report is understood to have recommended that a fuller inquiry requires to be conducted into the allegations that emanated from Sergeant McCabe and Superintendent David Taylor in two protected disclosures made in early October.

GSOC is already examining the O’Higgins commission-related allegations by McCabe of efforts to smear his character and is to apply on December 19 to the High Court for access to the transcripts from O’Higgins.

The inquiry to follow the O’Neill report is likely to be the Commission of Investigation model which is now used on a widespread basis to inquire into disputed matters. Its hearings are conducted in private.

Neither Sergeant McCabe nor Superintendent Taylor were interviewed by Judge O’Neill. His review of the protected disclosure was exclusively paper based