Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I disagree with the Deputy. I have already answered the question that was asked. I said that I was made aware by the Attorney General of serious matters relating to An Garda Síochána. These were brought to my attention on Sunday, 23 March. I outlined to the House on many occasions the actions I took as a consequence of that. On Monday, 24 March I asked that the Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality would convey to the then Commissioner my concerns about what had been revealed to me by the Attorney General.

I disagree with the Deputy's assertion on what I had in mind because it is not open to me as Taoiseach to remove anybody from office. I do not accept his assertion in that regard at all. This matter was brought to the attention of the Attorney General by the updating process in regard to sensitive cases that had to be reported to Government. Clearly a discovery process was in train regarding an unsolved murder in Cork, in respect of which material to be discovered to the legal team of Mr. Bailey was to be sent to that individual on the Tuesday of that week, and the extent of what transpired to be the taping of conversations in certain Garda stations over an extended period, in terms of not knowing what was in any of these. In that sense, the available options were, first, to convey to the Commissioner my concerns about the material that had been presented to me by the Attorney General and, second, to hear from the former Commissioner what action had been taken in the meantime and what actions he was taking under his responsibility for the matter.

These were a number of options open to the Commissioner but in the following period, he announced his retirement. The material due to be discovered to the Bailey legal time was sent to it. Deputy Joe Higgins is aware that the Government previously commissioned both the Cooke and Guerin reports.

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