Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald will raise directly with the Garda Commissioner allegations that whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe continues to be harassed, abused, and accused by senior officers of “destroying the force”.
Independent TD Mick Wallace told the Dáil last night, “Maurice McCabe is not at work today or yesterday. He is suffering harassment and abuse. He has been told by senior officers that he destroyed the force.
“He [Sgt McCabe] has reported the abuse through the proper channels. And there is no change. It is hard to believe that a man who has been so selfless and relentless in the pursuit of justice could still be treated like this, given all we now know.”
Ms Fitzgerald told Mr Wallace: “I will certainly raise that matter directly with the Garda Commissioner.”
The Minister was responding to the technical group’s Private Members’ motion on the Garda Síochána (Amendment number two) Bill to establish a Garda Síochána Independent Board, with monitoring, supervisory and oversight functions over the Garda Síochána.
Independent TD Clare Daly made allegations against three gardaí in the Ian Bailey case. Ms Daly said that in 2001 a report on the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder case investigation by the former DPP described the behaviour of gardaí as outrageous.
Ian Bailey’s team reckoned it had cost the State €40 million to €50 million “in trying to fit him up in the 18 years since this has started”.
Extradition
Ms Daly said in the course of Mr Bailey’s litigation it emerged before a Supreme Court hearing against his extradition that the European arrest warrant “was prepared on information submitted by gardaí who had been named in the DPP’s report as behaving improperly and this was what informed the French”.
She said: “There are three senior officers, it has been reported in the media recently, who in that case used improper influence” on the Cork State solicitor Malachy Boohig.
Ms Daly said Mr Bailey’s team had been informed those officers were former Chief Supt Dermot Dwyer of Bandon, the State’s most senior detective at the time; Chief Supt Seán Camon; and Assistant Commissioner of the southwest division Martin McQuinn.*
Chief Supt Dermot Dwyer “popped up in a dossier filed by former garda Jack Doyle” who had revealed gardaí sold drugs and allowed criminals get their hands on some of that stock.
Criminal gang
She claimed the same individual was “given tens of thousands of pounds by a major criminal gang”.
Ms Fitzgerald accepted the principle of the legislation and reiterated her commitment to reform, She acknowledged the substantial contribution many gardaí had made to the State and its security.
*This article was amended on May 28th to correct a spelling error.
