Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Today's speaking points for the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have relied on refuting a straw man, namely, the allegation that the Tánaiste designed or influenced the legal strategy deployed against Maurice McCabe. None of us has suggested that. We have suggested that when the Tánaiste received an email making her aware of it, even in a general sense, she should have acted on it. Of course she should not have intervened with the commission of investigation, but surely she should have intervened with the Garda Commissioner. The Garda Síochána Act says that the Garda Commissioner is accountable to the Minister for the performance of the Commissioner's functions and those of An Garda Síochána. Does the Tánaiste not accept that the email that she received should have acted as a red flag and that she should have held the Commissioner to account for the actions she was taking, because she is legally accountable to the Minister for Justice and Equality? Rather than hold anybody to account the Tánaiste simply forgot the email.

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