Garda whistleblower scandal

The Garda Whistleblower Scandal involved the revelation of corruption and malpractice within Ireland's national police force, the Garda Síochána, and the subsequent mishandling of the complaints that had been made by serving members of the force.

In 2014, material was revealed by two whistleblowers of the Garda Síochána, Maurice McCabe and John Wilson, to the Garda Confidential Recipient. The disclosures, and the handling of the disclosures, led to the resignation of Ireland's Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter, and the Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan. It also led to the retirement of Callinan's successor as Commissioner, Nóirín O'Sullivan.

A subsequent investigation into the handling of the complaints found that McCabe was subjected to a smear campaign orchestrated by senior Garda officials, namely, Garda Press Officer Dave Taylor and former Commissioner Martin Callinan.[1][2][3] The scandal had huge ramifications for both the Garda Siochana and the Irish government. It led to the resignation of Martin Callinan in March 2014,[4] and Shatter from the Cabinet in May 2014.

A new 'Policing Authority' was established to ensure that scandal within the Garda Síochána remained at a minimum and that the Government could have more involvement with the daily operations of the organisation. The Irish government also pledged to launch a "new era of policing".[5] Enda Kenny, who was Taoiseach for the majority of the scandal, apologised in Dáil Éireann for the damage caused to Maurice McCabe by Garda officials.[6][7][8] The Disclosures Tribunal continued the investigation into the campaign against McCabe, and O'Sullivan resigned after the tribunal's findings were published.[9] Frances Fitzgerald, a later Tánaiste,[10] resigned over apparent mishandling of emails that discussed details of the scandal. She was later proven to have acted appropriately as Minister for Justice and Equality by the Charleton Tribunal.[11]

  1. ^ "Guerin report finds Shatter, gardaí failed to adequately investigate whistleblower claims". The Irish Times. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  2. ^ Bohan, Christine (7 May 2014). "Explainer: Why Alan Shatter has resigned". The Journal. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  3. ^ "Maurice McCabe 'delighted' after vindication by tribunal". 12 October 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan resigns over whistleblower row". BBC News. 25 March 2014. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Policing Authority an 'impediment to accountability' says legal academic". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  6. ^ Daly, Susan (9 May 2014). "Frances Fitzgerald sets up full inquiry and an independent Garda authority: The new Justice Minister announces plans for "new era of policing"". The Journal.ie. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  7. ^ "Dáil Éireann Debate, May 13, 2014". Dáil Éireann. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  8. ^ O'Halloran, Marie (13 May 2014). "Taoiseach has 'no problem' in apologising to Garda whistleblower". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  9. ^ "Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan retires from office". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  10. ^ "'A good woman is leaving office without a full or fair hearing' - Varadkar addresses Dáil following Fitzgerald's resignation as Tanáiste". Irish Independent. 28 November 2017. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Frances Fitzgerald acted appropriately at all times – Charleton". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.