Timing of Morris report defended

TÁNAISTE MARY Coughlan defended the timing of the publication of the Morris tribunal report into the conduct of some gardaí in Donegal.

The report was published on Wednesday, when the main media spotlight was on the election of Brian Cowen as Taoiseach and the announcement of his Cabinet.

Yesterday, Ms Coughlan, who represents Donegal South West, said the tribunal was a matter of utmost gravity. “It deserves due consideration. There was a statutory framework within which the former minister for justice worked, as he indicated publicly today,” she added.

“It was a very short time frame. On the basis of that time frame, the Garda Commissioner wished to prepare his response. It was on that basis that it was statute-bound and published yesterday.”

Ms Coughlan was replying to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who had asked if there was a reason for the report not being published before the statutory deadline was about to be reached.

He hoped, he said, that the House would discuss the report.

Ms Coughlan said the Government was not averse to having a debate, and she was sure that it could be discussed by the party whips in due course.

Mr Kenny said that it should happen quickly rather than in due course, which could be years.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said that the publication of the report on Wednesday was “an act of political cynicism”.

He added: “It reminded me of the press officer in the UK who circulated a memorandum on September 11th, 2001, suggesting to ministers it would be a good day to release any bad news items.”

While he accepted that Wednesday was was the final day, there was nothing to prevent the publication of the report earlier than that. “The publication at lunchtime, on the day the Government was being formed, was clearly a well news-managed event. It does not behove any new practices on the part of the Government.”

Ms Coughlan said she believed everybody in the House would agree that the tribunal was a matter of grave concern.

“Once they receive a report people must be afforded an opportunity to analyse it and revert to it. It was on this basis that the former minister for justice indicated publicly that the Garda Commissioner wished that opportunity to be afforded to him,” she added.