Shatter hits out after TDs block effort to remove controversial Guerin report
FORMER justice minister Alan Shatter has heavily criticised TDs after the Dáil voted against hearing a motion to withdraw a controversial report that led to his resignation six years ago.
Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin were among those who blocked the Government’s effort to withdraw barrister Sean Guerin’s report which criticised Mr Shatter’s handling of Garda misconduct allegations by whistleblower Maurice McCabe.
Mr Shatter last night expressed disappointment with the move and accused TDs who opposed it of having a “vested interest” in keeping the report on the Dáil record.
The motion is now delayed indefinitely. “It’s clear the Dáil isn’t going to approve it. So it’s in limbo,” a Government source said. “It’s not going to be done for a while, if at all.”
Last year the Supreme Court upheld a Court of Appeal ruling that Mr Guerin’s report breached Mr Shatter’s constitutional rights. On foot of this and following a request from Mr Shatter, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl agreed the report should be removed from the Houses of the Oireachtas library.
Despite the all-party Dáil business committee agreeing to schedule the motion without debate for today, Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil, Labour and the Social Democrats objected to this during yesterday’s Dáil sitting.
Sinn Féin whip Aengus Ó Snodaigh said it would set a “dangerous precedent” to proceed with the motion without debate, arguing it should wait until a government is formed.
Labour TD Brendan Howlin said there was surprise that the motion was on the order paper and suggested it would be “useful to have a more considered period until the report is withdrawn”.
Fianna Fáil, which did not previously object to the motion, told the Government this week it wanted it deferred to allow further consideration of the implications of removing the report from the Oireachtas library.
Mr Ó Fearghaíl said there was legal advice to say it was “safe to proceed”. But the Dáil voted down plans to take the motion by 32 to 10.
Mr Shatter told the Irish Independent that some of those who spoke against the motion being tabled made false allegations about his conduct as justice minister in 2014 – allegations later found to be false by inquiries.
“It is also noteworthy that Sinn Féin led the opposition as over the last six years I have regularly been targeted and trolled on social media by Sinn Féin supporters, some of whom have engaged in anti-Semitic invective,” he added.
“They all have a vested interest in maintaining on the Dáil record a narrative indisputably proved false derived from the fundamentally flawed Guerin inquiry which the Supreme Court in 2019 held improperly reached conclusions.
“Their contempt for the truth, democratic values, the rule of law and constitutional rights is sadly consistent with what I experienced in 2014. Clearly nothing has changed.”