Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am given to understand that the whistleblower in question was asked by the director of a private security company, Confidential Investigations Athlone, to work for the company in the Seychelles in respect of the recovery of a €25 million security contract which he had lost to former employees, including former and serving Irish soldiers. As the Minister is aware, this relates to the claim that arms were being bought on the black market in South Africa and shipped to a special forces unit in the Seychelles to train and arm same. I understand that the former Minister with responsibility for justice, Michael McDowell, was working with Confidential Investigations Athlone on this issue because the company believed it was being double-crossed by former employees.

It is somewhat unusual that shortly after the investigation the Chief of Staff updated the Defence Forces policy on off-duty employment. The Defence Forces must have seen something that was not completely in order. Does the Minister agree that the testimony of a whistleblower would be critical to an investigation of this order? The Minister has referred to the person in question as a third party and that may be so. I cannot say for certain how much validity there is in the case, but I found it odd that a person who brought the information into the public domain and who informed the Defence Forces about it was not interviewed. Does the Minister not believe that would be a good idea?

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