Garda boss defends herself in PAC row

The Garda Commissioner has insisted she did not mislead the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and said there was “no difference of opinion” between her and the force’s human resources chief, John Barrett.

Mr Barrett told the PAC he raised financial irregularities at the Garda College with the commissioner and others during a two-hour meeting at Templemore on July 27, 2015, while the commissioner had also told the committee on Thursday that it was a “brief” meeting over a cup of tea.

PAC member and Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald yesterday said the commissioner’s contributions had been “full of discrepancies, evasion, and delay” and called on her to reflect on her remarks.