[Former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, Secretary General of the Department of Justice Brian Purcell and Justice Minister Alan Shatter in 2012]
Pat Leahy, political editor of the Sunday Business Post, spoke to Seán O’Rourke this morning about Justice Minister Alan Shatter’s claims that he wasn’t aware of a letter sent by Martin Callinan to the Department of Justice on March 10 until two weeks later.
The letter sent to General Secretary Brian Purcell – which specifically stated that Minister Shatter be told of its contents – included details of recorded conversations between gardaí in Bandon Garda Station and Marie Farrell, a key witness in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder case.
On Monday, March 24, a meeting was held between the Attorney General Máire Whelan, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Justice Minister Alan Shatter and the Secretary General of the Department of Justice Brian Purcell.
Speaking to Seán O’Rourke, Mr Leahy said:
“That evening, that is to say the Monday evening, before he says he became aware of this letter, he was at a meeting discussing this matter with the Secretary General of the Department of Justice. [This is] The man who sent the letter, who forwarded the letter to him, having been sent it by the Garda Commissioner, discussing the fate of the Garda Commissioner, following which the Secretary General of the Department is sent by the Taosieach out to the home of the Garda Commissioner to express the grave disquiet of the Taoiseach about this issue.
“But, by Alan Shatter’s account, not having known about this letter until the following day, the Secretary General of the Department [of Justice] didn’t mention it at all at that meeting. He didn’t say ‘oh yeah I got this letter two weeks ago about this from the Garda Commissioner, the man we’re now consider…who’s future we are now considering’, it seems very strange to me.”
Listen back here
Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Meanwhile, at a citizenship ceremony in the Convention Centre Dublin this morning:
There’s always one, etc.
Thanks Jenny McCarthy
