‘Safe pair of hands’ facing the chop after eventful career

Legacy bound up in dark saga

SHE was hailed as a safe pair of hands at the Department of Justice following the scandals during Alan Shatter’s tenure.

But from that promising start, Frances Fitzgerald now looks oddson to join the ranks of those who have been damaged or swept aside by the whistleblower scandal.

A former social worker, she was educated at UCD and the London School of Economics. Before being elected a TD, she was chair of the Council for the Status of Women for four years. She is married to psychologist Michael; they have three sons and live in Castleknock. First elected to the Dáil in 1992, she retained her seat five years later – but her career hit the buffers when she lost her seat in 2002, and even failed to win a place in the Seanad months later. Her second Seanad bid in 2007 was a successful one, and she became the leader of the opposition in the Upper House, positioning her well to regain her seat when Fine Gael swept to power in 2011. She was appointed Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in March 2011, and demonstrated her nous that year when she faced the Cloyne Report head on. ‘In a way that’s the most horrifying aspect of this document’ she said. ‘This is not a catalogue of failure from a different era. This is not about an Ireland of 50 years ago. This is about Ireland now.’ That Fine Gael was lauded for its approach to an issue that had haunted successive governments for decades was a major victory for the party, and Ms Fitzgerald played no small part in that approach.

When the whistleblower scandal exploded in 2014, she seemed an obvious candidate to succeed the ousted justice minister Alan Shatter, but few would have thought she would fall on the same sword.

Publicly, the Tánaiste expressed support for Garda whistleblowers, but she also continued to back Nóirín O’Sullivan, hailing her as ‘exceptionally well placed to deliver on a programme of reform and modernisation’ on her formal appointment as Commissioner in November 2014.

The Tánaiste has stood by her actions, telling the Dáil on Thursday: ‘On every occasion, publicly and privately, I raised issues about how whistleblowers were being dealt with to make sure that they were getting the best possible supports within An Garda Síochána.’

Whatever the truth may be, it is likely that her legacy is now bound up in that dark saga.