Shatter: No garda report exists on checkpoint stop

Justice Minister Alan Shatter has revealed there is no Garda report on his failure to give a breath test at a checkpoint.

Mr Shatter said Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has found no record of the incident on the Garda internal database, Pulse.

The embattled minister faces a motion of no confidence in him tonight and tomorrow, tabled by Fianna Fáil.

“Following on from the issue raised in the Dáil last week by Deputy Mattie McGrath, the Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality asked the Garda Commissioner to ascertain whether there was a garda report on the matter,” he said in a statement.

“The Commissioner has confirmed that he caused inquiries to be made by local Garda management as to whether or not a report of the incident was made at the time.

“He is informed that no such report was generated by the Garda member involved and a further local search of the garda computer system has failed to locate any such report.”

Fianna Fáil has accused Mr Shatter of hypocrisy after he confirmed he was stopped at a garda checkpoint several years ago and failed to give a breath test, blaming his asthma.

The minister, a TD at the time of the incident in late 2008 or early 2009, is also alleged to have told garda he was travelling home from the Dail when stopped on Pembroke Street at a checkpoint in 2009 or late 2008.

He maintains he was asked to give a breath sample, but his asthma prevented him from fully completing the test.

Independent TD Mattie McGrath made the matter public and has since gone on to raise further concerns over Mr Shatter’s attitude to gardaí on duty at the checkpoint.

Questions have since been raised about Mr Shatter relying on a Constitutional right for members of the Oireachtas to avoid arrest when travelling to or from Leinster House.

The controversy followed Mr Shatter’s refusal to resign after revealing on television that Independent TD Mick Wallace had avoided prosecution for driving while using a mobile phone when stopped by a garda at the Five Lamps in north Dublin.

Meanwhile, speaking on his way into Government Buildings this morning, the Taoiseach said he has full confidence in the Minister for Justice.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore accused Fianna Fáil of dragging the bottom of the barrel by wasting Dáil time.

“I think that this issue has gone on for a very long period of time,” said the Labour Party leader.

“Frankly, I think Fianna Fáil are dragging the bottom of the barrel now for an issue to have a private member’s motion on a motion of no confidence on by going ahead with this.

“There are a lot more important issues in this country that need discussion in the Dáil than whether Alan Shatter was stopped at a checkpoint or not.”

Fianna Fáil’s Niall Collins said Mr Gilmore was missing the point, and stressed the motion was being brought on grounds that Mr Shatter revealed private and confidential information against Mr Wallace.

He accused Mr Shatter of being unfit for public office.

“It’s fair to say his judgment has been severely called into question and that is something which we cannot have hanging over the Minister for Justice of the day,” Mr Collins told RTÉ.