HSE apologises for distress caused to Maurice McCabe and his family

The Health Service Executive has apologised to Sergeant Maurice McCabe, the Garda whistleblower who had false sex abuse allegation made against him.

The apology follows a similar apology on Friday by the child and family agency Tusla after revelations it sent a file containing the false allegations to An Garda Síochána. The false allegations were as a result of a "clerical error", Tusla has said.

Claims that Sgt McCabe was the subject of a smear campaign by Garda management because he revealed serious wrongdoing by a number of gardaí are to be investigated by a formal commission of investigation led by the Supreme Court judge Mr Justice Peter Charleton.

The HSE apologises unreservedly to Mr McCabe and his family for the distress caused on foot of this error. 

In a statement issued on Saturday, the HSE said it apologised “unreservedly to Mr McCabe and his family for the distress caused on foot of this error. The HSE is making arrangements to offer this apology formally to Mr McCabe as soon as possible.”

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The full HSE statement reads:

“In July 2013 there was an allegation of retrospective abuse made against Garda Sgt Maurice McCabe. In line with process, the HSE’s National Counselling Service referred this allegation to HSE’s Child Protection Services (now Tusla). This matter has been reported quite extensively in the media over the past 48 hours.

“The HSE wishes to confirm that there was an administrative error made by a staff member of the HSE’s National Counselling Service in the referral made at that time (August 2013).

“This administrative error was brought to the attention of the National Counselling Service in May 2014.

“The National Counselling Service responded immediately in May 2014 by bringing this error and a corrected report to the attention of Tusla and an Garda Síochána. In line with usual process, the error was brought to the attention of the HSE’s Regional Manager for Data Protection and Consumer Affairs. The National Counselling Service would have had no further involvement in this matter once the corrected report was provided to Tusla and an Garda.

“The HSE is satisfied that correct procedure was followed once this error was brought to the attention of the National Counselling Service.

“An immediate internal review of guidelines, practices and protocols was undertaken within the National Counselling Service to ensure that such an error would not reoccur. Appropriate training was also undertaken. Additional supervisory procedures were put in place by the National Counselling Service in relation to the staff member concerned.

“The HSE apologises unreservedly to Mr McCabe and his family for the distress caused on foot of this error. The HSE is making arrangements to offer this apology formally to Mr McCabe as soon as possible.

“The HSE will fully co-operate with any Inquiry or Investigation into this matter.”

Freedom of Information documents released to Sgt McCabe showed Tusla received a complaint from a counsellor about him in August 2013 and passed the claims to gardaí.

The false allegations were widely circulated to senior members of the force but no contact was made with Sgt McCabe about the matter and he was never questioned in connection with the claims.

In May 2014, Tusla admitted the file should not have been created and was a clerical error on their part.

In a statement on Friday, Tusla admitted “mistakes have been made” and the agency was in the process of issuing an apology. “On this basis, we have commenced an internal review and will co-operate fully with any commission of inquiry if requested.”

It has since emerged a formal apology issued by the agency was sent to the wrong address and was instead given to Mr McCabe’s neighbours.