Shatter Judgement Vindicates Guerin & Builds Pressure for Publication of Fennelly Report
Published on: 20 May 2015
Fianna Fáil Justice Spokesperson Niall Collins has responded to the High Court judgement dismissing the case brought by Former Minister Alan Shatter against the Guerin Report.
He welcomed the fact that it vindicated the findings of the Guerin process and pointed out that there should be no further delay in the publication of Mr Justice Fennelly’s investigation into the circumstances surrounding the departure of former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.
Deputy Collins commented, “The Guerin inquiry was set up by the Government of which Alan Shatter was a member to investigate whether further inquiry was warranted into activities alleged by the whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.
“The decision to appoint Mr Guerin came at the end of a process of delay, denial and obstruction by Mr Shatter and his Government colleagues, where they sought to dismiss and then undermine Sergeant McCabe.
“When they came, the Guerin Report findings were a massive embarrassment for a government that denied there was ever any issue in Justice and defended Alan Shatter month after month. Despite all the evidence of Minister Shatter’s mishandling of every crisis he approached, they actually voted confidence in him when we brought forward a motion of no confidence. But within a day of the report being released, the Minister was gone.
“Alan Shatter’s attitude and approach did not help him when he was Minister for Justice, nor has it helped him since. His own self-belief and defiant determination has resulted in a High Court dismissing his case on the basis that he was a member of the Cabinet that appointed Mr Guerin.
“His certainty of his own cause in all circumstance has tripped him up at every hurdle. He tried to block debate in the Dáil by sending legal letters to the Ceann Comhairle. He made a speech directly attacking Mr Seán Guerin inside the House when he knew he would not have a right of reply. I would like to think that he will now reflect on his behaviour throughout this process, but realise that this is more in hope than expectation.
“We now need to see the report into the departure of Martin Callinan and I would reiterate Fianna Fáil’s call for its publication.”