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Brian Purcell (centre) with former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan and former Justice Minister Alan Shatter Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Justice Committee to Secretary General: We will ask you about Guerin Report

Brian Purcell will appear before the Oireachtas Justice Committee the week after next.

THE OIREACHTAS JUSTICE Committee has formally invited the Secretary General of the Department of Justice to appear before it, but has told him that it reserves the right to choose what it questions him on.

Brian Purcell had requested not to be questioned about the events surrounding the departure of former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan, but the Justice Committee said in a statement that it would ask any questions within its remit, saying that it had sent a letter this morning.

“The letter will state that the Committee reserves the right to question him on matters of policy and administration within the Department, being matters which fall within its remit as specified in the Committee’s Orders of Reference.

“The meeting will in particular focus on the findings of the Guerin report, with the Committee keen to question Mr Purcell on the issues raised in relation to the administration of the Department.”

Purcell had been expected to appear before the committee next week, but with the Oireachtas adjourned to allow TDs and senators campaign for the European and local elections, Purcell will not appear until the week beginning 26 May.

Read: Frances Fitzgerald still can’t say if she has confidence in her most senior civil servant

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20 Comments
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    Mute Michael
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    May 15th 2014, 4:36 PM

    What is the point? He’s part of the untouchables, the Irish civil service.

    46
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    Mute Marc Sparks McCarthy
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    May 15th 2014, 4:39 PM

    another clueless looking idiot, like the rest of the ‘top dogs’

    42
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    Mute Lm group
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    May 15th 2014, 4:36 PM

    Bla bla bla, waste of time, corrupt from the top down, more honour amongst junkies

    42
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    Mute Juan de Rleewagin
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    May 15th 2014, 4:44 PM

    Brian should phone Angela!

    32
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    Mute Anne De Croix
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    May 15th 2014, 4:45 PM

    Can we blow the whistle to someone about the failure of Ireland, the failure of Democracy?
    People mistrust Europe now because of the terms of the bail-out- have we given up on Europe?
    Can we call on European wisdom to fix us?
    Have the people any allies left in the World, or has darkness truly taken hold?
    Where is reason, compassion,justice? Have they forsaken us once and for all?

    In the upcoming elections most people want to give the Govt a kick in the teeth for the lies and injustices that have been perpetrated in our name, but losing our Town Councils, we are in a bind as we need a local voice to represent us and the word on the street is that Fine Gael and Fine Fail supporters are working together to ensure local people who aren’t independents or Sinn Fein get in.

    Wha’d'ya do?

    I want to blow a whistle!

    23
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    Mute Anne De Croix
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    May 15th 2014, 4:47 PM

    Bring back the Philosopher Kings I say as Governments are no longer fit for purpose!

    Now back to a bit of joy in the sunshine!

    Woo-hoo. It’s sunny!!!!!

    12
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    Mute Jill Jones
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    May 15th 2014, 5:37 PM

    I’ll cheers you to that Anne :-)

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    Mute Deaglán O'Ceirín
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    May 15th 2014, 6:33 PM

    Mick Wallace and Minster Alan Shatter – Penalty Points.

    Now looking back, listening to Shatter.. The arrogance is actually hard to stomach.

    http://youtu.be/dmem-yngKdY

    9
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    Mute Ryan Ash
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    May 15th 2014, 6:49 PM

    I really do wonder if some of the people who are most negative about Ireland have ever lived elsewhere. This view that Ireland is a failed state or that we are much worse than any other country regarding our democracy is wrong. We are average, decidely average. And in spite of that I am still incredibly proud to be Irish and proud of Ireland. I’m just not always proud of the Irish people.

    As to the point re town councils, in most areas they were already controlled my FF or FG. In my own area it was 4 FG, 4 FF and 1 Labour and has been like that for as long as I can remember.

    6
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    Mute Martin Smith
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    May 15th 2014, 4:56 PM

    no way he will tell the committee anything that happened at the meeting with kenny nor his subsequent meeting with Callinan…As TDs are taking next week off to canvas for local election /euro candidates expect him to take early retirement and tell committee to fk off just as flannery has done.No doubt we will see lots of expense claims submitted during next week and no fear they extend dail by an extra week for these days off nor will they shorten summer holidays by one week………

    20
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    Mute Harry Price
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    May 16th 2014, 12:39 PM

    the offences against the state the gardai the secret society and the oath of the civil service combined all have destroyed my country in the cover up and evil wrong doings

    1
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    Mute Gerry Grimes
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    May 15th 2014, 5:04 PM

    Brave words but they know he’ll answer what question he wants to. No more than that.

    10
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    Mute Kevin MacDermott
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    May 15th 2014, 6:53 PM

    I suspect that Mr Purcell has signed some form of official secrets act which legally prevents him from openly discussing most of the issues the committee want to ask him about. Is it fair to ask him to risk jail just to answer questions from politicians to placate a somewhat misplaced media frenzy. Mr Purcell did nothing more than he was asked to do by his boss…The Taoiseach…. you can be damned sure the Taoiseach is not urging Mr Purcell to appear and answer questions on the matter.

    10
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    Mute Alan Reardon
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    May 15th 2014, 5:19 PM

    Who does this person Purcell think he is, he is an EMPLOYEE of the State whose salary is paid by taxpayers. If his bosses, the Government, call him before them to account for his actions or lack of them in his job, he must come running, if he does not he should be fired just like any other non co- operative employee in any other job. And Purcell just for the record your bosses set the agenda for a meeting not you.

    6
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    Mute Richard Rodgers
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    May 15th 2014, 5:46 PM

    Alan
    Slow down a moment. Just be very careful what you say on the off chance you look foolish. Perhaps most public of servants has a point. Would you for example countenance a situation where a Committee of the Dail in their headlong enthusiasm to win a quick and cheap headline Daily Beano Extra pushes a witness to answer questions that may clearly be a contempt of Court or where the answering of a question is clearly a breach of an Act of the Oireachtas.
    The reason I say this is that Judicial enquiries have or are being established at the present time who will have far more powers than a Committee of the Dail to ask appropriate questions and to issue findings at the end of the exercise. Do we want Johnny jumped up the quick headline merchant blowing our chances at hearing the truth.
    The behaviour of most of the Public Account Committee but particularly Mary Lou and Shane Ross and their ham fisted Chairman have scuppered that Groups endeavors to have Ms Kerins and Mr Flannery appear before them because of rank stupidity.
    At the time I publicly advised both of the ” accused” not to appear because what was happening was fundamentally wrong.
    Let’s avoid that outcome on this occasion.

    7
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    Mute John R
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    May 15th 2014, 6:47 PM

    Alan, just to be factual – yes his bosses are the Govt but they are not the ones calling him before them. The members of an Oireachtas committee are calling him before them. They are not his employers. He is perfectly entitled to due process just like everyone else. Being a Government or State employee, or indeed any type of employee, does not mean you lack rights to fair procedure and treatment. Employees are not serfs or slaves and have rights just like employers do. A statutory enquiry has been established which will establish what happened and why. This committee fed into the terms of reference of this enquiry and now want to run a parallel enquiry at the same time. Purcell has a day job as well.

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    Mute tmwtbc
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    May 15th 2014, 9:49 PM

    The voice of calm and reason, at last.

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    Mute johngahan
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    May 15th 2014, 4:50 PM

    This committee seem a smarter bunch than the wolf PAC. Can’t see them burning Purcell at the stake for cheap publicity.

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    May 15th 2014, 4:43 PM

    The photograph looks prescient.

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    Mute Kieran Cahill Denise Cuddihy
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    May 15th 2014, 5:54 PM

    Dirt the lot of them!!!corrupt…

    3
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