Dáil debates

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

4:15 pm

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I said to Deputy Martin, the point is that 12 distinct allegations were made in respect of a superintendent. The Secretary General sought a report, which was received four days later. A reply was received by the end of January of last year. In that reply, which was quite extensive, the Garda Commissioner outlined how 11 of the 12 allegations had already been made through the confidential recipient system and had been thoroughly investigated in an investigation headed by an assistant Garda commissioner and a chief superintendent. The report of that investigation, together with all the supporting documentation, was presented in ten volume files to the DPP. After considering the material, the DPP directed that no prosecution should be pursued, on the basis that no criminality was disclosed against any member. That is the decision of the DPP's office, which is completely independent of the Oireachtas.

When I received this material from Deputy Martin, I decided that I was not in a position to make a judgment on it. First, it would be inappropriate for me to have that material. Second, I do not have the authority to demand it. We have asked for an effective process to be put in place to deal with this. I want to see this resolved. I want to see that everybody understands exactly what happened and that the truth be known. We have got a competent person with criminal law experience to go through all of these papers and report back here. I chose that it be so because Deputy Martin gave me the material. I did not show that material to the Tánaiste. I did not show it to anybody else in the Cabinet. I did not send it to the Department of Justice and Equality. I did not send it anywhere else.

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