Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The appointment yesterday of Mr. Guerin is an acknowledgement that there is a legitimate reason for concern. Limiting his work to a review and placing on his shoulders the decision regarding the establishment of a full investigation is wrong. I believe his role should be to scope out the basis for such an investigation.

There is a sense that this review is either a search for a way out or a genuine approach to establish a commission of investigation. I wish Mr. Guerin well and hope he is able to produce a substantive report and guide a future investigation.

The allegations contained in the documents I have seen and the concerns which have been expressed to me by a number of people, including Sergeant McCabe and the family of Sylvia Roche Kelly, are so serious and grave that the only way to deal firmly with them is a full inquiry. This will not change.

A related issue is the repeated claim of the Minister that Sergeant McCabe refused to co-operate with the inquiry of Assistant Commissioner O'Mahony into his allegations about the handling of penalty points. For some reason, still unclear, the Minister has chosen to specifically criticise and stand by that criticism of Sergeant McCabe. He even criticised him in the Dáil and has spent the past week trying to justify it. The Minister's speech this morning was notable. He does not have the humility to say sorry or-----

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