Fine Gael accused Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan of trying to “bury” the findings of the Morris tribunal report by publishing it today as a new taoiseach is due to be elected, while Labour said the timing was "calculated and cynical".
The sixth annual report of the tribunal has found a number of gardaí mistreated several people who were detained unlawfully during the investigation into the death of Co Donegal cattle-dealer Richard Barron.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan said he would raise the issue at today’s meeting of the Oireachtas Justice Committee and seek an explanation about the timing of the report’s publication.
“Brian Lenihan’s decision to publish the sixth annual report from the Morris tribunal on the same day that a new Government is being formed is highly questionable.
“Minister Lenihan received a copy of the report from the tribunal on April 24th and could have published its findings at any stage of the last two weeks.
“But it looks like Minister Lenihan and his Government were deliberately trying to bury the findings of this report,” Mr Flanagan said.
He said he would seek a full Dáil debate on the contents of the report and the timing of its publication.
“It is essential that the corruption uncovered in the Donegal Garda division must never be repeated. The Morris tribunal has played a vital role in bringing the corruption to light, and its findings have laid the foundations for new mechanisms to ensure that An Garda Siochána is made more transparent and accountable.”
Labour Party justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte said the timing of the publication of the 1,400-page report today was “calculated and cynical”.
He said the decision to “withhold” it was “clearly designed to swamp the bad news of yet more critical findings on Garda conduct in Donegal in the tsunami of news coverage that will mark the election of the Taoiseach and appointment of new ministers”.
“The issues probed by Morris are fundamental to our democracy and central to the public interest,” Mr Rabbitte said. He said the conclusions of the report “could scarcely be more serious” and would have to be carefully studied by the Dáil and acted upon by the Government.
“Many law abiding citizens already feel that the penalties imposed for gross misconduct previously identified by Morris were minimalist. Slipping out the latest report, on the day of the election of a new Taoiseach gives the impression of playing down the importance of the findings.”
Sinn Féin justice spokesman Aengus Ó Snodaigh also said the Minister was attempting to “bury” the report and he called for criminal charges to be brought against those gardai allegedly involved in abuses citizens’ rights.
“There must consequences for those members found to have been involved in the abuse of innocent citizens and for their superiors. This could include, where appropriate, criminal charges against all involved and removal from An Garda Siochána with suspension of pensions."
Mr Ó Snodaigh said he believed Garda abuse “was not and is not” limited to “a few individual members” in Donegal during the 1990s and that it was more "widespread and ongoing". He called for extra resources for the Garda Ombudsman Commission.
A spokesman for Mr Lenihan said the timing of the report was a result of legislation linked to the Morris tribunal’s work.
“The report was received by the minister on April 24th, 2008. Save in exceptional circumstances, the legislation establishing the tribunal states that the minister must, within 14 days of receiving a report from the tribunal, arrange to have it laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. The 14-day period expires today and accordingly the minister has laid the report before the Houses.”
The spokesman said the report would be debated in the Oireachtas “in due course”.