Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan

O'Sullivan surprised by Howlin Dáil comments

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan has voiced her “surprise” at comments made by the Labour Party leader under Dáil privilege regarding Garda Maurice McCabe, and refuted them “in the strongest terms”.

Addressing the Dáil earlier today Deputy Brendan Howlin said he was contacted by a journalist who claimed to have “direct knowledge of calls made by the Garda Commissioner to journalists during 2013 and 2014 in the course of which the commissioner made very serious allegations of sexual crimes having been committed by Garda Maurice McCabe”.

Calling on the Commissioner to step aside until the inquiry comes to its own determination, Deputy Howlin continued to say that if the Garda Commissioner had made such serious allegations against one of her officers to the media, it would be “quite extraordinary”.

He added: “I don’t know whether the charges against the Commissioner are true or not.”

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl warned “I do not think such a statement is appropriate” in the House.

In a statement issued through the garda press office the Commissioner “notes with surprise” the comments made by Deputy Howlin.

It states : “The comments made under Dáil privilege relate to allegations of the most serious nature against the Commissioner and other members of An Garda Síochána. The Commissioner has no knowledge of the matters referred to by Deputy Howlin and refutes in the strongest terms the suggestion that she has engaged in the conduct alleged against a serving member of An Garda Síochána.”

The Commissioner says that this is the first time she has been made aware of the allegations made by Deputy Howlin and to her knowledge no report having been made to the Garda Siochána Ombudsman.

The statement continues: “In view of the seriousness of the allegations made by Deputy Howlin and that they refer to conduct of the most damaging nature against a serving member of An Garda Síochána the Commissioner is obliged to take the unprecedented step of commenting publicly in circumstances where the Terms of Reference of the Commission have now been published.”