‘I’d no role in McCabe legal strategy’, says Frances Fitzgerald

Former Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald made a “conscious decision” not to interfere in the legal strategy being put forward at the O’Higgins Commission after receiving an email about it, the Disclosures Tribunal has heard.

Her comments appear to contradict both her written statement to the tribunal and her remarks in the Dáil where she said she had no recollection of the email sent on May 15, 2015, detailing a legal row that had broken out at the commission.

Ms Fitzgerald is the latest witness to give evidence at tribunal which is examining whether unjustified grounds were inappropriately relied upon by the former Garda commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan to discredit whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe at the O’Higgins Commission of Investigation.