Alan Kelly wants to be justice minister

Labour’s Alan Kelly has said he wants to become justice minister, with an aim “to clean up the department” and “go in and gut it”.

The Tipperary TD is adamant the job is “suited to the person I am”.

Mr Kelly said that former justice minister, Frances Fitzgerald, will not be “vindicated” by the Charleton tribunal and warned that present incumbent, Charlie Flanagan, will be in “a very difficult situation”, if more garda email revelations emerge.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Kelly said that if he ever returns to government, he would “thrive”, if given the task of cleaning up the Department of Justice.

Noting his recent, central role in uncovering the Maurice McCabe garda email scandal and the garda college financial crisis, Mr Kelly said the role would be “suited” to his abilities.

Asked if he would be interested in becoming the justice minister, Mr Kelly declared: “Do I want to serve in government again? Of course. Of course. I think I would thrive in going in to clean up the department. It’s suited to the kind of person I am, and Templemore’s in my backyard.

“Of course, if we get into government and I’m re-elected, I’d like to be a minister, but the Department of Justice is something I’ve a particular interest in.

“I’d like to go in and gut it. There are plenty of people in there who are good people but, culturally, it needs to change.

“Obviously, we all know the Department of Justice is dysfunctional.

“It was unprecedented for the Taoiseach to stand up in the Dáil in November and say it. So, that department has to be absolutely gutted.”

Mr Kelly said that while Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has hinted that ousted justice minister and tánaiste, Frances Fitzgerald, could return to frontline politics in the future, if she is cleared by the Charleton tribunal over the Maurice McCabe garda emails scandal, this will not happen.

“I’ve nothing personal against Frances Fitzgerald. She’s somebody I’m friendly with and I think she has a contribution to make in the future.

“But, in terms of her being vindicated, I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think her whole handling of the situation was untenable and that’s not going to change,” he said.

The ex-environment minister said that when the Charleton tribunal begins discussing the garda emails scandal, next week, it is likely to uncover further information about what happened, potentially putting Mr Flanagan under fresh pressure to clarify his officials’ actions.

“If you ask me was the department hiding information, I’d say there’s no doubt in my mind that there’s more documents,” Mr Kelly said.

“That whole issue hasn’t been dealt with and, in the near future, in the coming months, there has to be answers. I will need an explanation and if the standard of answers over the interactions between the gardaí and the Department of Justice isn’t good enough, then I think that’s something Charlie Flanagan will have to answer for.

“I think Charlie Flanagan is in a very difficult situation, if the Department of Justice doesn’t change its attitude. I expect Charlie is going to have to deal with that, and deal with it immediately,” he suggested.