State solicitor made late-night call over McCabe strategy

A state solicitor was so concerned about the strategy to undermine Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe at the commission investigating his allegations that she made a late-night weekend phone call to the Garda head of legal affairs to alert him to what was happening.

Ken Ruane, the head of legal affairs, told the Disclosures Tribunal yesterday he probably should have contacted the Garda commissioner after the call to suggest she review the approach which was “inconsistent” with her public stance on Sgt McCabe.

The phone call came from Ann Marie Ryan of the Chief State Solicitor’s Office to Mr Ruane at 11pm on Saturday, May 16, 2015, the day after a row had erupted at the O’Higgins commission over attempts by counsel for the Garda commissioner to undermine Sgt McCabe by bringing up references to an unfounded allegation of child sexual abuse made against him years earlier.