Fianna Fáil has called on Minister Leo Varadkar to immediately demand an apology from his colleague, the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, for the gross mistreatment of garda whistleblowers.
The party’s Spokesperson on Justice Niall Collins commented, “I am delighted that Leo Varadkar has finally found his voice about the appalling way in which the garda whistleblowers have been treated. But what Minister Varadkar really needs to do now is speak to the Garda Commissioner’s boss Alan Shatter, and demand an apology for his disgraceful attempts to undermine Sergeant Maurice McCabe.
“It seems to me that the Commissioner has been taking his lead from Minister Shatter throughout this controversy. It’s all very well for Minister Varadkar to focus on the Garda Commissioner’s role, but as long as Minister Shatter refuses to acknowledge the damage he has caused by misleading the Dáil and undermining the character of Sergeant McCabe, this injustice will continue.
“The report of the Garda Inspectorate published earlier this month vindicates the whistleblowers. Minister Varadkar would be best placed speaking to his own colleague, Minister Shatter, about how he has treated the whistleblowers and his ongoing refusal to admit that he was wrong.”