The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, is to meet a former Garda superintendent, Mr William Geary, in New York in 10 days. After a seven decade battle to clear his name of bribery charges, the 100-year-old man's honour was restored following an announcement by the Minister in April.
Mr Geary was sacked in June 1928, without a trial or disciplinary hearing, for allegedly accepting £100 from the IRA when serving in Kilrush, Co Clare. He denied the charge and emigrated to New York that year.
Following a request for the release of his files under the Freedom of Information Act and inquiries by The Irish Times, the Government released some of the evidence papers to Mr Geary on humanitarian grounds this year.
In a carefully worded statement in April, the Minister for Justice said he was not convinced that the procedures followed in 1928 were satisfactory. It was unlikely that they would be within the requirements of natural justice as understood today, he said.
The Government "considered it reasonable that Mr Geary should have the impediments to the future enjoyment of his good name and reputation lifted". To recognise this in a practical way the Government granted him a pension of £17,500 a year, the equivalent provided to a Garda superintendent retiring after full service. Mr Geary was also given £50,000.
The Minister expressed a wish to meet Mr Geary in a letter sent to his family last week. Mr O'Donoghue will be in Manhattan at the invitation of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, to confirm the Government's £15,000 yearly donation to the Det Garda Jerry McCabe fellowship programme.
As well as his other engagements, the Minister is hoping to use this opportunity to meet Mr Geary, said a spokesman. Mr Geary's godson, Mr John Patrick Collins, will also be at the lunch on November 16th. The venue has not been decided.