Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach will know that Sinn Féin has tabled a motion of no confidence in the Government. If he wants to know why, he should reflect on his mea culpaof a moment ago. His little deal with the Fianna Fáil leader may delay that necessary development. It will also delay the search for truth by Maurice McCabe. The tipping point for Sinn Féin was the way that the Government dealt with the campaign of vilification, smears and false accusations against Garda Sergeant McCabe. That is a campaign that the Garda Commissioner now acknowledges, although she says that she did not know it was happening at the time it was happening.

This is not the time to go into the twists and turns, lies and spin of this long episode, but it is remarkable that Maurice McCabe, his wife, Lorraine, and their family have survived it all. That is obviously because of their resilience, bravery and commitment to each other and the need for the highest standards in public life, including in An Garda Síochána.

There are two issues - allegations of a criminal conspiracy by senior gardaí and the enabling of that by the Government. This series of scandals began when Maurice McCabe raised concerns about corrupt practices in the hierarchy of An Garda Síochána in 2008 and then publicly when he and Garda John Wilson did so in 2012. They were smeared, bullied and undermined. So were Teachtaí who raised concerns in this Chamber.

Then there was the Taoiseach's role in the retirement of Commissioner Martin Callinan, the resignation of the confidential Garda recipient, the resignation of the Minister, Alan Shatter, and the transfer of the Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality. It goes on and on. Eight years of public defamation and State vilification of Sergeant McCabe and his family.

What of the concerns of the other whistleblowers? Last week, the Government proved itself once again to be incompetent, incohesive and without any authority to govern except that gifted to it by the Fianna Fáil leader. Citizens deserve a 21st-century, accountable policing service. So do members of An Garda Síochána. The Government is not capable of establishing that. The Taoiseach and the Fianna Fáil leader in their choreographed, staged little exchanges of a moment ago may laud the merits of the public inquiry that the Taoiseach has just belatedly announced, but the credit for that public inquiry is entirely Maurice and Lorraine McCabe's.

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