Irish Examiner View: Jail ruling reversed

The Irish Prison Service has rescinded the decision to suspend legal firm investigations into allegations of wrong doing made under protected disclosures legislation.

The unusual decision to curtail these investigations was reported by the Irish Examiner earlier this week.

Previously, the director-general of the prison service Caron McCaffrey, instructed legal firms to suspend inquiries because she deemed them not to be “essential” at this moment.

This intervention was unusual as Ms McCaffrey would normally have no role, once legal firms were contracted to carry out investigations, one of which focuses on allegations made against a senior official.

Last Monday this newspaper published details of the unexpected suspension but was unable to offer the Prison Service’s perspective as it had not responded to inquiries.

They did not respond this week to questions on why the investigations were reopened either.

The suspension provoked unhealthy suspicions and the refusal of the Prison Service to answer questions does nothing to allay them.