Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs for clarifying the fact that she did in fact brief the Taoiseach as regards the Tusla file in advance of the Cabinet meeting. There was no confidentiality or sensitivity around that. Maurice McCabe came to see the Minister not to discuss an allegation or a live investigation but to complain about a false allegation. He also made the Minister aware that he had been talking to the media and that a "Prime Time" programme would be broadcast. The Taoiseach repeatedly refused to say when he first learned of allegations of a sexual offence made against Maurice McCabe. Let me help him. It was reported in theIrish Independenton 12 April 2014 that Deputy Micheál Martin met with the woman alleging sexual assault or abuse by a serving Garda. On 15 April, the same newspaper reported that the alleged victim wished to meet with Deputy Micheál Martin. On 2 May, it was reported that Deputy Micheál Martin wrote to the Taoiseach and told him about this and it was mooted in an article that the Taoiseach was going to order an investigation into this matter. The Garda about whom the woman spoke to Deputy Micheál Martin was none other than Maurice McCabe. So the Taoiseach was aware from that point. Did he instigate an investigation and why does he persist in a game of make believe that he did not know about these allegations? He knew about them going back to May 2014. Will he and Deputy Micheál Martin be witnesses at the tribunal of inquiry?

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