Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister abused the privileges of this House to seek to sully and destroy the reputation of a serving garda, but I suppose we should not be surprised because he also abused the privileges of his Ministry to try to damage the reputation of a Member of this House.

The Taoiseach stated yesterday, "In so far as apologies are concerned, I have already said that the Minister for Justice and Equality had one interpretation while Sergeant McCabe had a different interpretation." This is an unbelievably weak defence. To say the least, it is lily-livered that the Minister clearly abused the privilege of this House to try to destroy the reputation of Sergeant McCabe, a reputation that has come through in yesterday's report.

Does the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, believe the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, should apologise to Sergeant McCabe? Is it credible that a Government would allow a Minister to abuse the privileges of his office to sully the good name of a citizen of the State?

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