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Former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan. Niall Carson/PA

White: The sooner we know what happened with Callinan's resignation, the better

White was speaking at the Labour leadership hustings in Dublin this evening.

JUNIOR MINISTER ALEX White has said this evening that gaps in knowledge about what happened the day Martin Callinan was visited by the Justice Department’s Secretary General need to be filled, as this a meeting is thought to have led to the former Garda Commissioner’s resignation.

Brian Purcell was sent by the Taoiseach to Callinan’s house on the night of 21 March and this has created speculation that he was sent there to essentially sack the commissioner on behalf of Kenny.

The General Secretary of the Garda Representative Association, PJ Stone, in April accused the government of forcing Callinan’s resignation ‘on a political whim’. White himself has also allegedly implied that Kenny fired the former commissioner, in a letter to Labour party members.

Speaking today, he said “there are gaps in our knowledge of what occurred that day and I think the sooner we know precisely what happened, the better for all of us”.

However he pointed out that the Taoiseach, “in fairness to him, has indicated his intention to give an account of what occurred on that occasion” to Judge Niall Fennelly, who is tasked with conducting the inquiry into the taping controversy and events surrounding Callinan’s resignation.

Also speaking at the Labour leadership hustings in Dublin this evening, Joan Burton said “we’ve been told by the Taoiseach and told by the Commissioner himself about his resignation”.

“There is a judge appointed now to fully inquire into all of the matters – probably one of the most extensive terms I’ve reference I’ve seen in relation to any inquiry and I’m sure the judge will do his job with great diligence and great exactitude and the Taoiseach has undertaken to make himself available to those inquiries,” she added.

Read: Alex White thinks Enda Kenny fired the Garda Commissioner… maybe>

Read: Brian Purcell appears before the Justice Committee, but refuses to answer questions about Callinan>

Read: PJ Stone says Callinan was sacked by government on ‘political whim’>

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29 Comments
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    Mute
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    Jun 20th 2021, 4:48 PM

    Why don’t the government build a brand new hospital off the M50 accessible by road and public transport a hospital that’s not smack bang in the middle of the city and while building the hospital make it so that it has a helipad and no neighbours to protest every time a helicopter has to land in the nearest Rugby/GAA pitch and to alíviate not landing in a pitch have the helipad on the hospital roof. For the love and honour agree a final price all included and tie the contractor into it.

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jun 20th 2021, 7:43 PM

    This hospital isn’t smack bang in the middle the city centre. The hospital has a bus routes stop outside both entrance to the grounds. Sydney parade dart station is 5 minutes walk away. And there is a multi story carpark on the site with another currently under construction.

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Jun 20th 2021, 7:58 PM

    @Roy Dowling: it is a NATIONAL maternity hospital , not a South county Dublin Maternity hospital,

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    Mute EillieEs
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    Jun 20th 2021, 8:21 PM

    @ChronicAnxiety: the point is that the St Vincent’s site is easily accessible by public transport as well as car.

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    Mute EillieEs
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    Jun 20th 2021, 8:34 PM

    @: the whole point of locating it alongside a general hospital and not as a stand-alone on the M50 was that in the case of complications there’d be immediate access to the emergency services that an acute general hospital provides.

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    Jun 21st 2021, 7:48 AM

    @Roy Dowling:

    “Sydney Parade Dart Station is five minutes walk away”

    Ronnie Delaney, in his prime, wouldn’t have ran the true distance in that time!

    I wouldn’t be using that as a selling point for the proposed new maternity hospital!

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Jun 20th 2021, 4:32 PM

    Looks like another disaster like the children’s hospital is on the cards.

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    Mute Jeff Rudd
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    Jun 20th 2021, 6:35 PM

    @Dave Barrett: If BAM has anything to do with it – yes!

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    Mute Darren Carroll
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    Jun 20th 2021, 4:35 PM

    Must be an election coming soon somewhere, chap is working overtime this weekend

    110
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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Jun 20th 2021, 8:01 PM

    @Darren Carroll: FG are getting in it on the streets of DBS , does not help that James Geoghegan is on the board of the national maternity hospital and a founding member of renua.

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    Mute Dan
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    Jun 20th 2021, 4:36 PM

    Just start afresh….ask for the so called land that they handed over to be given over fully, no strings, no lease, no funny business.. any strings attached just walk away….everyone will see it as it is…dont waste a penny of our money on those folks… look for land that we do own and build there

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    Mute Mickety Dee
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    Jun 20th 2021, 4:43 PM

    @Dan: I think the sister’s of charity want to be paid for the land. It seems charity doesn’t extend to the provision of a maternity hospital

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    Mute Skipper Mac
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    Jun 20th 2021, 5:35 PM

    @Mickety Dee: as far as I know Sisters of Charity are happy to give the land for the expansion of Saint Vincent’s and the new Maternity Hospital. However under the condition that the ethos of the hospital would remain Catholic.

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    Mute Mickety Dee
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    Jun 20th 2021, 6:10 PM

    @Skipper Mac: But that’s not being offered.

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    Mute Jeff Rudd
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    Jun 21st 2021, 11:45 AM

    @Skipper Mac: @Skipper Mac: They were to gift it to the state – they stated this – but instead, actually gifted it to a further religious setup connected to themselves.

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    Mute Pete Lee
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    Jun 20th 2021, 6:46 PM

    Have they paid money owed from abuse agreements?

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    Mute Annmarie Taylor
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    Jun 20th 2021, 7:02 PM

    @Pete Lee: No of course not.

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    Mute DB
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    Jun 20th 2021, 5:25 PM

    The mind boggles that even St Vincent’s have to be asked to give the land .

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    Mute Benny McHale
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    Jun 20th 2021, 7:36 PM

    Get the Chinese to design and build a maternity hospital on the Naas Road. They’d have it done in a couple of months.

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    Mute leartius
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    Jun 20th 2021, 9:23 PM

    It’s such a laugh. Think back to 2017. In march 2017 Leo announced
    Leo Varadkar says Government ‘cannot seize church lands’.
    “A referendum on giving the Government powers to seize lands owned by the Catholic Church in order to recoup a shortfall in payments for abuse victims would probably be lost, Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has said.
    Mr Varadkar was speaking after Minister for Health Simon Harris said there would be “significant merit” in seizing hospital and school property in light of a report which showed shortcomings in the church’s contribution to a redress scheme for those abused in Catholic institutions.”
    4 years later, Leo Varadkar says Government ‘hasn’t ruled out’ CPO of National Maternity Hospital site. That’s some comfort.

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    Mute Sean
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    Jun 20th 2021, 9:34 PM

    @leartius: I’m not entirely sure what your point is. I don’t think you are either. A CPO is a forced sale but it’s not the same as seizing. And he’s still saying it can’t be done so it’s not like he’s changed his tune.

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    Mute Ron Ashenden
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    Jun 21st 2021, 9:07 AM

    Can someone tell me why it has to be built in Dublin and not for the whole of the country say Mullingar

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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Jun 21st 2021, 7:28 AM

    Stop. Shame on the politicians
    .l just start building

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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Jun 21st 2021, 7:27 AM

    Stop. Sh

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