Former Taoiseach faces Tribunal questioning

Former Taoiseach John Bruton will be questioned at the Morris Tribunal today over claims he asked one of his TDs not to help a Donegal family’s battle to expose garda corruption.

Mr Bruton, now the European Commission’s Ambassador to the United States, is due to answer allegations that he put pressure on a Fine Gael colleague to drop the McBrearty case.

The Raphoe family have been at the centre of claims of abuse and harassment at the hands of some gardai following an unsolved killing in the town.

The inquiry has been told former TD Jim Higgins, now an MEP, was urged in 2000 to “lay-off” the matter by then party leader Mr Bruton.

Mr Bruton is scheduled to give evidence at 9.30am.