Is Garda HR boss going to become a barrister?

THE man whose evidence to the Public Accounts Committee contradicted Nóirín O’Sullivan’s account of her knowledge of the Templemore Garda College scandal has made his first steps towards qualifying as a barrister, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.

John Barrett, the civilian head of human resources in An Garda Síochána, was conferred with a Diploma in Legal Studies from the Honourable Society of King’s Inns in July of this year.

Those wishing to sit the barrister-at-law degree must hold either a law degree or a diploma in kegal studies from King’s Inns. He was also awarded the Antonia O’Callaghan memorial prize – awarded for the highest mark in Irish Constitutional Law in the diploma examinations.

Earlier this week, Ms O’Sullivan announced she was retiring as Garda Commissioner after months of controversy, including the emergence of serious financial irregularities at the Garda College. She told the PAC she first became aware of the irregularities over a brief cup of tea with Mr Barrett on July 27, 2015.

But Mr Barrett’s detailed minutes of the meeting with Ms O’Sullivan, and other senior gardaí, stated it lasted two hours.

An explosive 88-page dossier – first published in the MoS – contained extensive details of this meeting which supported Mr Barrett’s account of the meeting.

The MoS attempted to contact Mr Barrett, via the Garda Press Office, but was told that the query was outside of administrative hours.