Members on all sides of the House joined in calls for justice to be seen to be done to former Garda superintendent Mr William Geary, whose case has been highlighted by The Irish Times. Mr Geary was dismissed 71 years ago over claims that he received £100 from the IRA. Now aged almost 100, he has always sought to clear his name.
The Fine Gael leader in the House, Mr Maurice Manning, said that Mr Geary had over many decades made efforts to have his case reopened. He claimed to have been illegally dismissed. He was not seeking any financial pay-back from the State. All he wanted was the restoration of his reputation and the pension contributions he had made during his four years in the Garda Siochana.
Mr Joe Costello (Lab) said the Leader of the Seanad should come back to the House after consulting the Minister. The House Leader, Mr Donie Cassidy, said he would bring the views of members to the attention of the Minister for Justice.