Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Our overriding consideration is to vindicate the integrity of Maurice McCabe and to have a comprehensive statutory tribunal of inquiry into allegations that there was a concerted smear campaign against him. That said, truth in government matters. There has been a drip-drip of information and misinformation and a lack of candid presentation of what exactly happened in the lead up to the Cabinet meeting to discuss the formation of the commission of investigation and, indeed, the revelations of the existence of a Tusla file containing false allegations against Maurice McCabe.

I was taken by the Taoiseach's interview this week where he said the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, told him she intended to meet Sergeant McCabe in a private capacity and that was all he knew. He apologised for that yesterday and said it did not happen. The Taoiseach said her advisor spoke to his advisor on 24 January in accordance with Deputy Zappone's speech to the Dáil last night, which was candid and probably a model others should follow. She said:

My adviser met an adviser from the Taoiseach's office on Tuesday, 24 January, the day before I was due to meet Sergeant and Mrs. McCabe, and told him about the upcoming meeting. She told him that it was in respect of a complaint that the McCabes had about Tusla. Before meeting the McCabes, I told the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality that I was meeting Sergeant and Mrs. McCabe. As I stated when I spoke to the media yesterday, I also spoke with the Taoiseach prior to the Cabinet meeting last week. Just to be clear, this was after my meeting with the McCabes. I told him that I had met the McCabes and that we had discussed false allegations of sexual abuse made against Sergeant McCabe to Tusla. The Taoiseach said that this would be covered by the commission of investigation, which is what we were calling it at the time. I did not go into the detail of any of the allegations that I was aware of, but I did indicate to him that this was the nature of the conversation.

When the Taoiseach rang me the night before yesterday, he indicated that he did not know about the existence of a Tusla file. He said that to me. He said he did not know about the details contained in the file. I am beginning to accept that the Taoiseach did not know the exact graphic details of the file, but it seems clear that he knew about the existence of a Tusla file. How else did he know or could he have known that the commission of investigation would cover the allegations if he knew nothing about the allegations themselves? He told me that Deputy Zappone said there were allegations against Maurice McCabe although he did not mention Tusla. The Taoiseach told me he asked if they were true or false and the Minister told him they were false. I would like to know how the Taoiseach knew the commission would cover it if he did not know the detail of any allegations.

Can the Taoiseach or someone else confirm to the House whether Department of Justice and Equality officials knew about the existence of the Tusla file and the allegations contained in it? Was there an attempt to keep the protected disclosures report and its conclusions separate from the existence of the Tusla file and the allegations in that? Was the Cabinet blindsided as a result of the desire on behalf of somebody to keep the two separate at the cusp of the establishment of the commission of investigation?

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