Vol. 467 No. 2
6 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice whether she, officials from her Department or any person acting on her behalf, contacted, issued directives or advice to the Garda Síochána concerning the investigation and press statements made by the Garda Síochána arising out of the murder of a garda and the wounding of another in Adare, County Limerick, in June 1996; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12894/96]
Neither the Minister for Justice nor I, nor any officials of her Department or persons acting on her behalf, issued any directive or advice to the Garda Síochána concerning the investigation and press statements made by the Garda authorities following the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe and the shooting of Detective Garda Ben O'Sullivan. There were, of course, the usual contacts between the Department and the Garda authorities for the purpose of obtaining information relating to the attack on the two gardaí and the progress of the ongoing Garda investigation.
It is appropriate that I extend my deepest sympathy on this occasion to the family of the late Detective Garda McCabe, to his relatives, friends and the Garda Síochána. The attack on the gardaí, leading to the murder of one of them, is abhorred by everybody. It represents an attack on the democratic institutions of the State. I extend my best wishes to Detective Garda Ben O'Sullivan for his continued improvement and wish him a very speedy recovery. In the course of the usual contacts between the Department of Justice and the Garda authorities, was mention made of the fact that they should dilute their earlier view that the Provisional IRA may have been involved in the Adare atrocity?
No mention was made of the word "dilute". The Government has worked tirelessly and in good faith in its efforts to bring about a renewed IRA ceasefire in the interests of ensuring a lasting peace. Those familiar with the consistent condemnation by members of the Government of the death and destruction perpetrated by the Provisional IRA in the bombings at Canary Wharf and other locations in Britain, including the most recent one, since the ending of the IRA ceasefire on 9 February will be in no doubt as to the readiness of the Taoiseach and Ministers, at the earliest possible time, to put responsibility for the murderous attack on the Garda escort at Adare firmly where it should lie. The attack was immediately condemned by the Government and there was no equivocation about putting responsibility for it on the shoulders of the Provisional IRA as soon as the Government was in a position to do so. I remind the Deputy that even before the Government was given a conclusive view that the Provisional IRA was responsible, it was foremost in its criticism of the failure of Sinn Féin to condemn the attack.
On 7 June 1996 a Garda press conference was held on this matter and it appeared to those present, and subsequently to the general public, that there had been a dilution of the original version in that the gardaí at the press conference were not as forthcoming in laying blame as they had been earlier. In that context why did the Minister for Health state on 9 June 1996 that the Garda authorities were diluting their original theory about the involvement of the Provisional IRA? Would these two factors not indicate a view contrary to that which the Minister has outlined to the House?
I must challenge the Deputy in his assertion that the Minister for Health used the word "diluting". From where did the Deputy get that information? That word was used in questions about the incident in Adare and in earlier questions the word "cover-up" was used. Is there to be a repetition of these words? The comments by the Minister, Deputy Noonan, were based on contacts he had with my Department on the evening prior to and the morning of his radio interview. The information available to the Department at that time from the Garda authorities was that whatever about suspicions, their formal position was that they were keeping an open mind on the issue of responsibility. The Minister made that very clear in his interview. The Department was also advised by the Garda authorities that inquiries had widened outside the Munster area.
The Minister wishes to remind Deputies there is an ongoing investigation in this case and it would not be appropriate to provide any further detail on the exact lines of investigation that may be involved.
In the light of the Minister of State's reply, will he accept that the Minister for Health should not have stated that the Garda was investigating other options since it would appear from his reply that there never was any question of the Garda having informed the Department that it was investigating other options, merely that it was keeping an open mind?
I am glad the Deputy has dropped the word "dilution" from his vocabulary. The interview given by the Minister for Health on that occasion was balanced and factual. I do not accept the criticism made by the Deputy.
If I recall correctly, the Minister for Health was invited on to the programme to deal with newspaper reports that contact had been made by civil servants, on the instructions of their Departments with Garda Headquarters to play down the IRA involvement. When the Minister, Deputy Noonan, rejected those allegations, why did he then say the Garda was widening the scope of the investigation and examining other possibilities? What was the basis for making that statement other than to play down the implication of IRA involvement in the murder?
There was no attempt on the part of the Minister, Deputy Noonan, the Minister for Justice or anyone else involved to play down IRA involvement. It should be fully understood by Members of this House and by the public that the Government does not have any time for the activities of the IRA and would not be party to playing down its involvement in this murder. The Minister for Justice and the Garda must examine all possibilities. As I have already said, the interview given by Minister Noonan was balanced.
Was a telephone call made by officials of the Department of Justice at lunch time on Friday, 7 June 1996 to Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park? In the course of that telephone call, did an official or officials of the Department of Justice suggest to the Garda Síochána that it should hold back on the line that the Provisional IRA was responsible for the murder? That claim has been widely reported and I would appreciate the Minister of State's comments on it.
That is a very specific question. The Deputy is asking me to respond to an allegation that a telephone call was made. Perhaps the Deputy would be kind enough to supply me with the details of that alleged telephone call so that I can make further inquiries. Regardless of any allegations that are made, the Deputy can take it for granted there was no attempt by this Government to dilute — to use the Deputy's word — the responsibility of the IRA.
The Minister of State has now disavowed in trenchant terms the interview given by Minister Noonan. I put it to him, therefore, that it would be entirely inappropriate and incorrect for any member of the Government, any official acting on behalf of the Government or any individual acting at the behest of any individual in the Government, or the Government collectively, to attempt to interfere with the day to day operations of the Garda Síochána. It has been widely reported that that is exactly what occurred in this case.
I am amazed at the facility with which the Deputy says that certain matters have been widely reported and the way in which he peddles rumours in this House——
Not rumours.
——in circumstances as serious and as tragic as those about which we are talking. I have not disavowed the Minister for Health; I defended him and said he gave a balanced interview. I resent the suggestion that the Department of Justice would attempt to interfere with the responsibilities of the Garda. On occasions we are urged to do that but the Department of Justice and the Garda have their own responsibilities. The Garda is responsible for this investigation and the Department of Justice has not interfered with that investigation. The Garda is aware it has the wholehearted support of the Minister for Justice, the Department and myself in its efforts to apprehend and bring to justice the people responsible for this dastardly act. I resent any suggestion that the Minister, myself or anyone in the Department of Justice would take action that would detract from those efforts in any way.
The Minister of State has trenchantly denied that Government sources or civil servants made any contact with the Garda to seek to play down IRA involvement in this murder. In the light of that statement, which I accept, how does the Minister of State explain the reason the Garda Commissioner felt it necessary to make a very unusual public statement that the Garda was absolutely certain the IRA was involved in the murder? Is he saying there was no relationship between that statement and the report that Government sources were trying to play down IRA involvement in the murder?
The Deputy refers to the "report" but deliberate rumour mongering would be a more appropriate term. The Garda Commissioner did what he believed was right and he had my complete support in doing that. He took the decision to make that statement which subsequently turned out to be accurate.
