PAC is standing f irm
Plans to meet penalty points whistleblower going ahead, says chairman
THE chairman of the Public Accounts Committee has clashed with his party’s justice spokesman in his determination to bring penalty points whistleblowers before the Dáil committee.
And Fianna Fáil’s John McGuinness said the treatment of whistleblowers in Ireland is ‘disgusting’.
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has already said he has sought advice from the Attorney General on whether action should be taken to stop a member of the force giving evidence.
And yesterday the all-party committee came under pressure from fellow Oireachtas members.
Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Niall Collins took a swipe at Independent committee member Shane Ross, saying: ‘Listening to Deputy Shane Ross this morning, I would have some serious concerns about the approach that certain members of the PAC are taking towards their interaction with the gardaí.’ And Labour senator Ivana Bacik declared: ‘We don’t want to see a star chamber or show-trials being conducted.’
However, Mr Collins’s party colleague and PAC chairman Mr McGuinness said plans to bring penalty points whistleblower, Sergeant Maurice McCabe, before his committee are going ahead. He said the date is provisionally set to hear evidence from the sergeant next Thursday. Speaking yesterday Mr McGuinness said the meeting could be held in private but said the matter should be fully investigated. He said: ‘We are waiting to hear from the whistleblower. He is getting advice about whether he should give evidence before a public or private hearing.’
His party colleague Mr Collins had expressed unease at committee member Mr Ross. He said: ‘The work of the PAC is crucially important and should be supported, but deputies need to be careful that in their enthusiasm to find the next villain, they do not undermine that work.’
But, Mr McGuinness said yesterday ‘We operate above politics’, in response to Mr Collins’s charge that his committee are looking for villains.
He added: ‘I think the reference to us looking for villains is outrageous and absurd. We bring accounting officers before the committee and we seek to find the truth. The reference to making villains out of people is absurd.’
He added that he believed the treatment of whistleblowers in Ireland is ‘disgusting’.
He said: ‘ What I find disgusting is how whistleblowers are treated in this country. Had we listened to the whistleblower in the Department of Finance we might not have had the crash landing that we had.’
Meanwhile, the Garda Commissioner said yesterday the PAC is not the correct forum for police to make serious criminal accusations against colleagues.
He said: ‘I have the height of respect for the Public Accounts Committee and respect for the work they do, I certainly don’t want to do anything to hamper that situation but I have my own back-yard to watch.’
Mr Callinan was grilled before the committee this week during five hours of tense evidence.
Giving evidence before the Committee Mr Callinan said he found it ‘disgusting’ that allegations of corruption would be brought against members of the force before the Committee.
PAC member Mr Ross yesterday said he was unhappy with the Garda Commissioner’s position on the Committee.
He said: ‘I thought it was quite extraordinary. He said matters of such importance should not be discussed here; he was almost disdainful of the Public Accounts Committee.
He went on to talk about being “usurped by subordinates” which I think was an extraordinary phrase to use.’