THE Minister for Defence last night denied that he was drunk and involved in a heated exchange with a garda during his visit to the Irish UN contingent in Cyprus to mark St Patrick's Day.
Mr Barrett is prepared to call the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces and the Secretary of his Department as witnesses to contest allegations made in court yesterday about his visit to Cyprus on March 15th during the Minister's visit to Irish peacekeepers in the Middle East.
The Fine Gael Minister was responding to yesterday's High Court hearing in which Garda Michael Fitzpatrick, of Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, succeeded in stopping an order that he be repatriated from Cyprus, where he is on duty with the United Nations.
Garda Fitzpatrick is temporarily suspended from his duties and is expected to remain in Cyprus pending the resolution of the court proceedings.
The Minister was not represented at the High Court hearing but will have an opportunity to bring evidence when the case is heard later this month.
The court heard evidence yesterday from another garda that Garda Fitzpatrick and the Minister "had a lot of alcohol consumed and both were drunk" at a reception in the Irish soldiers' club in Nicosia.
In a statement read out at the unprecedented Good Friday sitting of the High Court, Garda John Scanion said. "About 12.30 a.m. we were joined by Minister Barrett and some of his entourage. I remember Police Officer Fitzpatrick asking Minister Barrett about the home allowance paid to Irish police serving in Cyprus.
"The Minister seemed to become upset and accused PO Fitzpatrick of being obsessed with money. PO Fitzpatrick then remarked that perhaps if Fianna Fail were in power they would increase this allowance.
"The Minister then became very irate and said PO Fitzpatrick was a disgrace. Both PO Fitzpatrick and the Minister had a lot of alcohol consumed and both were drunk. The Minister was shaking and seemed to be very upset. He said PO Fitzpatrick would go no further."
Another Garda witness spoke of a "heated exchange" between Garda Fitzpatrick and the Minister, and said Garda Fitzpatrick apologised before leaving the premises, known as the Hibernian Club, which is used by Irish UN military personnel for social functions.
The Minister had earlier attended a medal ceremony for Irish UN troops in Cyprus.
In a statement issued yesterday Mr Barrett said. "Damaging allegations were made against me in a court hearing this morning in which I was not involved and at which I was not represented. These allegations are entirely false and without foundation. I have several witnesses who are ready to support this contention.
"Both the Secretary of the Department of Defence, Mr David O'Callaghan, and the Chief of staff of the Defence Forces, Lt Gen Gerry McMahon, who were present with me at the function referred to, are willing to testify to the falsity of the allegations against me."
Mr Barrett had said last Monday that he was not involved in the decision to repatriate Garda Fitzpatrick. He received an apology, shook hands and was happy to forget about it". He said. "I have made no formal request or otherwise to have action taken against the garda in question".
The matter was an internal Garda matter, he added.
Granting an injunction restraining Garda Commissioner Patrick Culligan from repatriating Garda Fitzpatrick today Mr Justice Carney said he was satisfied that a strong prima facie case had been made out that the sanction imposed on Garda Fitzpatrick was disproportionate to a constitutionally unfair degree.
He gave Garda Fitzpatrick leave to apply to the High Court to challenge and quash the Garda Commissioner's decision and told Mr O'Connell that the Commissioner could be notified forthwith by telephone.
Garda Fitzpatrick is being supported by the Garda Representative Association, whose solicitors, Hughes Murphy and Co, presented yesterday's application to the High Court.