O’Higgins report: Alan Shatter calls on Kenny to correct Dáil record

Former minister for justice Alan Shatter has said he expects Taoiseach Enda Kenny to correct the Dáil record following the publication of the O’Higgins report.

Mr Shatter said the report unequivocally established that he dealt properly and truthfully with Garda related matters that gave rise to controversy in spring, 2014.

In a detailed statement, Mr Shatter said: “Garda related events in which I was engaged, when minister for justice, which gave rise to substantial public controversy have now been examined by three different independent retired judges of our Superior Courts.

“They have irrefutably established that serious charges and accusations made against me, both inside and outside the Dáil, were entirely untrue. For over two years, I have had to live with the public opprobrium, criticism and abuse they generated. I hope that with the publication of the O’Higgins Report, I can now move on to a new chapter.”

He added: “It is clear from the O’Higgins Report that the Garda failings indentified in it occurred well before my appointment as minister for justice, at a time when Micheál Martin was in Government.

“It is now for Micheál Martin to explain why, in February 2014, he chose to ignore that all of the matters detailed in Sgt McCabe’s letter of 23rd January 2012, save for the allegations of corruption against the Garda Commissioner, related to events that occurred in 2007/2008 when Fianna Fáil was in Government, and why he chose, together with his Fianna Fáil colleagues, to accuse me of ‘undermining the administration of justice in the State’ and to target me with a torrent of false allegations about my conduct as minister for justice.

“The truth has now been irrefutably established. Now that we are in the era of ‘new politics’, I hope that Micheál Martin and all of my accusers, then in opposition, will now reflect on how they dealt with these matters and withdraw on the Dáil record the false allegations they made.

Mr Shatter also said the Taoiseach now has a duty to correct the Dáil record and the Government has a duty to withdraw the “discredited” Guerin Report.

“I will be writing to the Taoiseach on issues of relevance and importance following on from publication of the O’Higgins Report and seeking a substantive response,” he said.

The commission, chaired by Mr Justice Kevin O’Higgins, examined claims of Garda malpractice made by whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe.

The report found Mr Shatter, Mr Callinan and the Department of Justice handled complaints made by whistleblower Maurice McCabe in a professional and appropriate manner “at all times”.

The Garda Representative Association said the report found there was no Garda corruption in the Bailieboro disctict and that any failings or weak performance were the result of inexperienced, junior gardaí.

“This report vindicates that such failures of policing were attributable to a combination of inexperience and lack of supervision, and organisation failure to identify such deficiencies.

“The conclusions of the O’Higgins report point to a failure of Garda management to identify that inexperienced Gardaí were neglected of the supervision they were entitled to – and as a result the public were subjected to corporate failure,” the association said.