Kelly challenges McEntee’s answers on protected disclosure in Dáil
Kelly challenges McEntee’s answers on protected disclosure in Dáil - The Labour Party
- Kelly urges independent investigation into faulty holsters given to Gardaí
Labour justice spokesperson Alan Kelly TD questioned Minister Helen McEntee in the Dáil on the RTÉ Investigates programme that aired yesterday evening, saying that Minister McEntee’s interference in the handling of a protected disclosure was exactly what the Taoiseach described yesterday as an action that would be “completely and utterly inappropriate”.
Deputy Kelly paid tribute to the family of the late Garda Colm Horkan, urging Government to finally do the right thing and sanction an independent investigation into how faulty equipment was given to Gardaí.
Deputy Kelly said in the Dail:
“The consequences of last night’s programme are deep and far reaching. Minister O’Callaghan will have to answer for how An Garda Síochana and his Department acted.
“I told this Chamber on the 25th of March of this year about the issue of the holsters, and I also told Minister O’Callaghan that the handling of Protected Disclosures by Minister McEntee would haunt this Government and the previous one.
“Minister McEntee was the Minister for Justice for most of the period this programme covered.
“She has a duty to outline to the House and the public what she knew and what she did in relation to the issues raised.
“In particular, her disastrous handling of a Protected Disclosure which was detrimental to one of the whistleblower’s career, livelihood and wellbeing and that of his family.
“A whistleblower sent his Protected Disclosure to Minister McEntee in September 2023 as it impugned the then Commission.
“Minister McEntee then sent that to the Office of the Protected Disclosure Commissioner later that month. The correct thing to do.
“In October 2023, the OPDC sent their statutory direction appointing the Secretary General of the Department of Justice to investigate this. No objection was made to this appointment.
“However, Minister McEntee later directed that the investigation be removed from her Secretary General and be redirected to An Garda Síochana thereby usurping the OPDC’s statutory direction.
“Thereby, as Minister for Justice, Minister McEntee revealed the identity of the whistleblower, depriving him of the legal protections he was entitled to, and exposing the nature of his allegations.
“As I outlined in the Dáil, in doing so she acted without legal authority and directly interfered with a serious and significant protected disclosure. She did exactly what the Taoiseach Micheal Martin described yesterday during Leaders’ Questions as “completely and utterly inappropriate”.
“The whole country is talking about last night’s RTÉ Investigates programme. The whistleblowers who came forward deserve huge credit for their bravery. There aren’t new revelations, I have been raising these issues in the Dáil for a number of years.”