Justice Committee may ask Shatter and official to explain Callinan letter delay

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter and his top official may be asked by the Oireachtas Justice Committee to explain the delay in passing on information about the recording of phone calls at Garda stations.

Labour senator Ivana Bacik, who is a member of the committee, said yesterday the Minister and the secretary general of his department, Brian Purcell, should be asked to clarify what happened.

Since his resignation last Tuesday it has emerged that a letter sent by former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan to the Department of Justice on March 10th relating to the phone recording issue was not shown to the Minister for 15 days. In the letter Mr Callinan advised that its contents be conveyed to the Minister.

Delay
Mr Shatter told the Dáil last Wednesday that the letter had only been given to him the day before. The Opposition have demanded more information on why the delay occurred, and yesterday Ms Bacik said it would be appropriate for Mr Shatter and Mr Purcell to explain the position to the justice committee.

The committee is chaired by Cork East Fine Gael TD David Stanton.

Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte said yesterday that was no basis for "alarmist" suggestions that high profile criminal convictions could be in jeopardy as a result of the recording of phone calls at Garda stations. He told RTÉ's The Week in Politics that it served no purpose to be putting about "the wildest possible scenarios that might happen".

“I think it is entirely alarmist and I don’t think we have any basis to suggest that some of the most notorious convictions in the country are going to be overturned and that rapists and murderers and other serious criminals will walk free.”

The Government last week announced the establishment of a commission of investigation into the taping of recordings at Garda stations after it was revealed that calls on certain lines had been recorded for more than 20 years. The news broke on the same day former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan resigned.

The trial of two men charged with IRA membership was delayed when lawyers sought confirmation as to whether telephone calls made by their clients from Garda stations were recorded. It subsequently resumed.

A number of other defence lawyers have said they will seek details about the taping of calls their former clients had made.

Opposition parties have questioned the timeline surrounding the issue and particularly the delay in passing on Mr Callinan’s letter to Mr Shatter.

Mr Rabbitte denied the emergence of the taping revelations was an attempt by the Government to distract attention from concerns about abuse of the penalty points system raised by Garda whistleblowers, and to ease pressure on Mr Shatter.

'Landed on its lap'
"It is a very serious matter that no government would want landed on its lap," he said.

Fianna Fáil has tabled a motion of no confidence in Mr Shatter, which will be debated in the Dáil this week, with a vote on Wednesday evening.

Mr Rabbitte said he welcomed the development. “I very much welcome that there is a motion of no confidence next week because it provides the opportunity to put this behind us, allow the inquiries to get on with the issues in parallel and deal with the issues we should be dealing with like continuing to grow employment.”