McCabe meeting senior gardaí to discuss fresh allegations

Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe is meeting senior Garda management this afternoon to discuss new allegations that penalty points are still being terminated in controversial circumstances.

The claims, which were furnished to Garda management in a letter by Sgt McCabe a fortnight ago, suggest that during 2013 and for much of this year, gardaí of the rank of inspector have been terminating penalty points.

Sgt McCabe has claimed members of the force were continuing to cancel penalty points for friends, despite the introduction of new regulations aimed at preventing the practice.

The latest allegations relate mostly to gardaí who were previously involved in cancelling points.

It is understood an initial examination of Sgt McCabe’s claims by a senior officer suggested that there is an issue to be examined.

A statement issued on the matter by the Garda yesterday said interim Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan had forwarded the allegations to Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald and requested a public-interest investigation by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

The Minister agreed and has since referred the allegations to the ombudsman, which will independently examine them.

It is understood that these new allegations also form part of discussions that Sgt McCabe is having with GSOC.

The Garda statement also said changes to the way the penalty points system operated had been introduced in recent months and Ms O’Sullivan had recently ordered an audit of the system.

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee John McGuinness said this morning that Sgt McCabe’s most recent claims “essentially showed that repeat offenders continued to have their penalty points quashed and that they system continues to fail, resulting in a loss of revenue to the State, and […]significant breakdown in the process for issuing penalty points”.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Today with Seán O'Rourke programme, the Fianna Fáil TD said the whole penalty points system, including the Fixed Charge Processing Office in Thurles, needs to be audited.

He said excuses outlined by Sgt McCabe as to why letters notifying drivers of their penalty points were not delivered, such as a change of address, were a deliberate attempt by gardaí concerned to “avoid the audit trail”.

“That is very serious, because it is not just someone now quashing penalty points. It is someone within the force devising excuses that simply get away from the audit trail,” he said.

“There is a problem in terms of controls within the Garda force itself, and discipline, and that is a very serious concern that I have that needs to be addressed also.”