Enda Kenny backs Garda Commissioner amid smear claims

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has reiterated his support for Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan as claims were made in the Dáil that she was directly involved in a smear campaign against Garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin said under privilege that he was contacted by a journalist on Wednesday who told him "he had direct knowledge of calls made by the Garda Commissioner to journalists during 2013 and 2014 in the course of which the commissioner made very serious allegations of sexual crimes having been committed by Garda Maurice McCabe".

He called on the commissioner to stand aside for the duration of the inquiry and said it was not appropriate for her to remain in place as long as the formal commission of investigation was under way.

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl intervened and warned him against making such serious allegations in the House.

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Mr Howlin said: “I don’t know whether the charges against the commissioner are true or not.”

Report

But he said the Opposition had not been issued with Mr Justice O’Neill’s report even in redacted form, despite the fact Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald had received the report two months ago. He said they had not been consulted about the terms of reference for the commission and this was unacceptable.

Mr Ó Fearghaíl told him the charges he was making were “extremely, extremely dangerous and you are taking us into territory which we should not venture into”.

He said the Labour leader had “just related a ‘dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi’ [‘a woman told me that another woman told her’] story referencing clearly the Garda Commissioner. I do not think such a statement is appropriate.”

Ms O’Sullivan has rejected any knowledge of a campaign against Sgt McCabe. A commission of investigation to be chaired by Supreme Court judge Mr Justice Peter Charleton is to be established following a report by former High Court judge Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill that a commission should be established to investigate whether senior Garda management was involved in such a smear campaign.

Mr Howlin said in the Dáil that previously when he raised serious issues in relation to a whistleblower he had gone directly to the minister for justice. He said the issue had ended up in the Supreme Court, where he was told he should have raised the issue directly in the Dáil.

‘Troubling’

It was troubling that the Garda Commissioner remained on active duty, he added. “I cannot think of another walk of life where if allegations of this nature had been made against a person in a position of power that they would not be placed on administrative leave until the outcome of the investigation is known,” Mr Howlin said.

The Taoiseach said the issue Mr Howlin raised was of the most serious import and that the Labour leader was aware of this.

He said the reason the commission was being established “is because Justice O’Neill, in his review, pointed out that the review could not have attempted to establish where the truth lies in respect of the very serious allegations made here”.

Mr Kenny said: “There has been no finding of any wrongdoing of any kind against her and in those circumstances, she is entitled to our full support and that remains the position.”

The Taoiseach also said there was “an obligation, including a general constitutional obligation to protect the good names and reputations of persons who may the be subject of untested allegations”.