Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I take my responsibility very seriously in this regard and I repeat, very firmly, that nothing I said was an allegation or a use of privilege. I gave details of facts which can be supported by evidence and I have no problem standing over any of those points.

The Tánaiste made the point that it is up to the judge to carry out the inquiry as he sees fit but he can only do that within the confines of the powers he has. Can the Tánaiste confirm to the House that the judge has been given the authority to request the electronic information that supports the allegations at the heart of these matters? People's good names are very important and at the heart of this matter are the muddying and tarnishing of the good name of Sergeant Maurice McCabe. This is also about the horrendous nightmare that is being experienced by current members of An Garda Síochána who have made protective disclosures and I am not only talking about those whose names are in the public domain. I and Deputy Wallace recently met with a further six serving members of An Garda Síochána who have all either made protective disclosures or are on the verge of doing so. What part of this situation does the Tánaiste think is normal or okay? We have an enormous crisis of confidence inside An Garda Síochána, primarily and largely centred on the role of the Garda Commissioner. The civilian head of An Garda Síochána, GSOC and the courts are investigating these matters but the Tánaiste seems to be okay with delegating to others her legal responsibility for doing precisely that and she will not get away with it.

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