Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

The question put to the Taoiseach pertained to the role that he played in communications with the former Garda Commissioner prior to the latter's resignation. As the Taoiseach did not answer the question, can he tell us what was his role and what were the reasons for the communication? He knew that the Commissioner would have no option but to resign in view of the messages sent through the Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality. Is it not true that the aim of the intervention was to secure the resignation of the Garda Commissioner and divert attention from the disastrous handling of many controversial issues by the then Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, and by the Taoiseach, in endorsing the huge misjudgments, mistakes and arrogance evident in the then Minister? Why did he choose 24 March to send his message when for weeks and, indeed, months before that he had stood over the actions of the Minister and the Garda Commissioners in terms of their abuse of whistleblowers who had attempted to bring irregularities to their attention and to the attention of the Government? Why did he chose that particular time when the issue about which he communicated the supposed concerns of the Government, namely, the secret taping of conversations in certain Garda stations, had been well known to Members of the Government for several months and was being discussed by representatives of the Government and the former Commissioner? Can he give us an explanation that is credible and in accordance with the facts? It is just a matter of confirming what everybody knows but it is important that the Taoiseach confirms it.

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