Results 20,281-20,300 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: No, that is not accurate. I was informed by the Department of Justice and Equality last Thursday that this email had surfaced. The Department informed me it was continuing to search its systems to see if there was any other material it felt could be relevant. It was also getting some legal advice on the matter. I asked that I would be informed as soon as the information was available. I...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is no reference in the email to what the criminal charges were. I will repeat that the independent review mechanism was under way.

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: It was under way, and of course I had information on the various cases that were under that independent review mechanism, but that was a completely different issue. Those were the files that were handed over by Deputy Martin to the former Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, at that point.

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is making many assumptions and allegations about the behaviour at the tribunal. What I had in this email - which I did not remember when I spoke to the Taoiseach - was the fact that an allegation had been raised against Sergeant McCabe and that it was a serious criminal complaint, which he had always denied. The allegation was that it had not been properly investigated. That...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Some people were actually saying that I or the Government were in some way colluding with the legal strategy of the Garda Commissioner. That was said. I am glad that the Deputy realises now that that was not the case.

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: It was certainly out there as an innuendo about the approach that we were taking. The Deputy asked if I held the Garda Commissioner accountable on whistleblowing. I absolutely did, all of the time. The strategy is still under investigation by the Charleton tribunal, as the Deputy is aware. The issue of what precisely the strategy was is being examined by the tribunal right now. The email...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Commissioner was receiving her own advice. The Department was represented separately at the O'Higgins commission. The idea that the Department, or indeed myself as Minister, would be part of discussions about a legal strategy for any party appearing before the commission would be absolutely wrong, and I have no information that anybody from the Department was involved in such a...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am not the Minister in that Department now, but my understanding from the information that I have sought is that there was a deep trawl done to make sure that everything that was in any way relevant to this issue had been found. I have explained what happened on Thursday and the Department's response at that time, when it reminded me about that email. No one else in the Department and in...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I do not understand the last part of the Deputy's question. Can he repeat it please?

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: When the Department told me about this email last Thursday I did not remember it. I tend to read all of the emails that come to me. I can only assume that I did read it but I did not remember it when I was speaking to the Taoiseach. I said to the Taoiseach that I did not know about any legal strategy in advance, that I was not part of any legal strategy, I had no hand, act or part in a...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: If someone gets an email and the email explicitly states that the person has no role or function because it is a matter for a tribunal and there is due process at that tribunal and evidence is being given, that actually makes it more understandable that I might not remember it because it says I have no function in relation to it. I do understand that a tribunal of inquiry or commission of...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: When this email is read it can be seen that it referred to a call from a senior official in the Office of the Attorney General. The Deputy is saying that Sergeant Maurice McCabe is saying that what is in the email is incorrect. I can only tell him what was in the email. I have absolutely no reason to believe that either a senior official from the Office of the Attorney General or a senior...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: That would be quite an extraordinary allegation to make about a senior official in the Office of the Attorney General. If the Deputy is saying there is a discrepancy between Sergeant McCabe's view of it and what is in this email we will just have to see what he has to say about it. The Taoiseach had a conversation with him earlier.

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I do not know who attended that meeting. I do know regarding this allegation that Sergeant McCabe, as the Deputy will be aware, at the Charleton tribunal, the disclosures tribunal, said, "It did not happen, it did not happen, [it’s a] horrendous allegation to make and it did not happen." We are very clear about his view on this issue that arose. I am not going to try to re-run...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have already said that I had no role in the legal strategy adopted by An Garda Síochána. How would I possibly know whether there had been a meeting on what the Deputy has outlined? I had no role. I do not have any role. I did not have any role in respect of the legal strategy. If the Deputy has information and queries, the place for them is to be laid before the tribunal...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The answer to the first question is "No" and the answer to the second is that until the material emerged in May 2016, which was in the media, in respect of the various issues, that was the first time that I knew. As I told the Taoiseach, that was the first time that I knew about any of those issues.

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I met Sergeant McCabe on one occasion. I had a very good conversation with him and his wife, Lorraine. I do not have notes of the conversation with me, but from recollection it was primarily about his experiences, how difficult he had found things, some of his ideas about reform, and I think we may have also discussed the situation on penalty points. He spoke about how he would like to...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Could Deputy McGrath repeat that question because I have not grasped what he is asking?

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The only information is that which was in this email, which I was reminded of last week. The matter raised in that email is that the allegation had been that a serious criminal complaint against Sergeant McCabe, which he had always denied, had been raised by counsel for An Garda Síochána. Counsel for Maurice McCabe objected to it and that is the only information in regard to...

Justice Issues: Statements (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: To ask me that question is to completely misunderstand the way a tribunal or commission of investigation works. It would be absolutely inappropriate. As I said, it would be criminal for me as Minister for Justice and Equality to begin to interfere with evidence given before a tribunal. That would be a criminal act.