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THE GOVERNMENT’S INSISTENCE in 1983 that two of the most senior gardaí in the State were not asked to resign or retire over the phone tapping scandal is undermined by details that have emerged in documents released under the 30-year rule.
State papers disclosed by the National Archives this month contain a letter from the Garda Commissioner Patrick McLaughlin to the then Justice Minister Michael Noonan in the senior garda says “it is apparent that you and the Government feel that I have not lived up adequately to my responsibilities”.
The letter, informing Noonan of his decision to retire the following month, came on foot of a conversation between the pair on 19 January 1983 – just as the scandal was about the break – which had led McLaughlin to his beliefs as outlined in the letter dated 20 January.
Noonan insisted to the media at the time that both McLaughlin and his deputy commissioner Joseph Ainsworth were not asked to resign and that “there was no question of asking them to retire”.
But records from the Department of the Taoiseach reveal a draft of government minutes entitled ‘Garda Siochána: Removal of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner from Office’:
The draft minutes detail how the Minister was seeking authorisation to inform them “that the government have lost confidence in them” and “that, on that account, the government propose to remove them from those offices”. A handwritten note inserts the word ‘consider’ between ‘to’ and ‘remove’.
Later drafts use far more diplomatic language and Noonan instead seeks authorisation from government to inform both McLaughlin and Ainsworth that if interviews with them “develop on lines that suggested to him [Noonan] that it would be necessary or appropriate to do so, he should 1. indicate to them that a situation might develop where their continuance in office could come into question, and 2. invite them to make any comments that they might wish to make in that context”.
The documents released this month also detail McLaughlin’s letter to Noonan on the day that the scandal broke, in which the outgoing commissioner writes: “In particular I am thought by you not to have measured up in the exercise of control relative to the matters discussed.”
“In the circumstances it would not be appropriate for me to try to continue in the post.”
He states that his retirement on 1 February “does not mean that I am in away culpable in the controversy” beyond, he writes, signing a ‘postal warrant’ for the tapping of Irish Independent journalist Bruce Arnold’s phone.
He goes on to say that neither Arnold, nor Sunday Tribune political correspondent Geraldine Kennedy, were found to have any connections to criminality and that the request for warrants to intercept their conversations came from the Minister for Justice, Seán Doherty, and not from within the garda force.
McLaughlin writes that he had no knowledge of the supply of a tape recorder to then Tánaiste and Finance Minister Ray MacSharry for recording a conversation with Martin O’Donoghue, but noted: “If we are requested to supply something to a Government Minister we have very little option but to comply.”
See National Archives, Reference 2013/100/115
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The Gardai at the time were the tools of the then Government and willing actors. This comes from a culture of deference and willingness,often brought about by political appointments.
30 years and nothing has changed…
The Guards for years have been treated as FF’s private militia with political appointee’s used to subvert the course of Justice when leading party members or party donors were in trouble.
So Michael Noonan as Minister for Justice lied to the public saying they were not asked to resign…I wonder does he still lie?
He’s been found to be a liar and now were expected to believe what comes out of his mouth as Minister for Finance 30 years later….
That is fairly weak to be honest.
Not much changes in 30 years I wonder what we will be reading in 30 years time about the last and current government…..
Its not surprising that this situation continues while we have governments lining their pockets while the people suffer financially. A new government with no ties whatsoever with the present political system should be set up.
I see no valid reason why we should have to wait 30 years for basic info like this.
After returning from London In those times I ran a small grocery store to support my family as I didn’t want to join the dole queue. After being open for about a year our phone appeared to have been tapped because it was difficult to hear incoming calls as a receiver appeared to be lifted and left down quickly. Around that time I had been arrested and detained on occasions by the Gardaí. They accused me of associating with the IRA and Sinn Fein. I believe that it was possible those people were customers to our shop and were intercepted by the Gardaí. This was a very difficult situation for us as we did not know the names of the customers who came to our shop. Eventually we had no option but to close down and leave the area. The Gardaí suggested on an occasion that they were surprised I didn’t wear a beard. When I asked why they said most Sinn Fein people wear beards. This shop we had set up was a lifelong dream of mine but after the Gardaí’ dealings with us I found myself joining the dole queue. Our shop dream was lost.
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