Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In 2010 the then Minister for Defence, Deputy Willie O'Dea, was forced to resign. The Minister for Justice and Equality, then Fine Gael spokesperson on justice, said:

What Minister O'Dea admitted yesterday is that he willingly and publicly discussed, for his own electoral gain, confidential information furnished to him by a member of An Garda Síochána. Such conduct is entirely unacceptable by any Minister in any Government.

He went on to say members of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces could not be assured that information provided by them for Ministers would remain confidential. These are not my words. That is what the Minister said and what he clearly meant was that information given by gardaí and members of the Defence Forces to Ministers should be kept confidential. He holds a very special brief where he has unique access to sensitive information on other citizens. His actions in using this information to smear a political opponent raise serious questions about his suitability for office because it is abuse of office, pure and simple.

The Taoiseach spoke about the past. Given his criticism of a former Minister for Justice, Mr. Michael McDowell, who in 2005 tried to smear a journalist, how can he stand 100% behind the Minister?

If it is good enough for Michael McDowell and good enough for Deputy Willie O'Dea, it is good enough for the Taoiseach's Minister for Justice and Equality and this Government which was to bring so much transparency, democracy and clarity into the way it does its business. Is it not time for this Minister to stand down, to resign?

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