Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Anyone who has been listening to the former Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, in recent days would get the impression that when she got sight of the fact that the Garda Commissioner was taking an adversarial approach to Maurice McCabe, she wanted to intervene to help the whistleblower but she was legally forbidden to do so. That is the impression anyone would have. I am really struck by the language used in the emails sent between the Garda Commissioner and the senior officials in the Department of Justice and Equality. One message that was sent to from "N" to "Ken" - "N" being Nóirín O'Sullivan - read, "Ken, exact text of what was received by pro and our response. N". It is clear that at a time when the Garda was planning to attack Maurice McCabe, there was a cosy relationship between two friends, one in a senior position in the Garda and one in a senior position in the Department. I ask the Minister to comment on this cosy relationship.

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