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THE LONG-AWAITED report of the Fennelly Commission into, among other things, the circumstances surrounding the departure of the Garda Commissioner last year is expected to be published shortly.
The Commission delivered an interim report to the Department of the Taoiseach today. It is expected to be published within the coming days.
But what exactly has the Commission of Inquiry, chaired by former Supreme Court justice Nial Fennelly, been investigating? And what consequences might its findings have for the government and Taoiseach Enda Kenny in particular?
Here’s the background you need to know…
On 25 March 2014, Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan announced that he was to retire with immediate effect.
Callinan had been under pressure for sometime after describing the actions of two whistleblowers who unveiled malpractice in the penalty points system as “disgusting”.
On the same day he resigned, the government revealed the existence of a system that had been secretly recording phone calls in and out of dozens of garda stations around the country from the 1980s up to November 2013.
The system emerged during the discovery phase of journalist Ian Bailey’s civil case against the State over the garda investigation into the murder of Frenchwoman Sophie Toscan du Plaintier in 1996.
The recordings included conversations between gardaí and journalists, witnesses and members of the force. Their existence and the potential impact on legal cases caused such grave concern that the coalition immediately established a Commission of Investigation into the matter.
Fennelly was later appointed to head this inquiry and has since said that the examination of the recordings could take “years, if not decades” given the existence of thousands of tapes in excess of one million hours in duration.
The report delivered to the Taoiseach today is expected to scope out the timeline for the completion of this element of the inquiry. But it will also deal in detail with the controversial events surrounding Callinan’s departure.
Why are these events so controversial?
Just hours after the recordings issue was made public, it emerged that Callinan had written to the Department of Justice to inform officials and Mnister Alan Shatter of the existence of the recordings on 10 March 2014 – two weeks prior to his departure.
He said in the letter to the department’s secretary general Brian Purcell that he had set up a working group to examine the issue when it first emerged in November 2013.
However, Justice Minister Shatter only became aware of the letter after the Commissioner retired on 25 March.
The delay has been put down combination of Shatter being in Mexico on government business and Purcell being absent for a number of days due to a family bereavement. Both men have since resigned their posts.
This delay and the events of this night, Monday 24 March 2014, have become the subject of much debate and controversy and have been investigated by Fennelly.
What happened on 24 March 2014?
On the night before Callinan retired, Purcell visited the commissioner following a series of high-level meetings involving senior civil servants and the Taoiseach over the recordings controversy.
Kenny himself had only become aware of the recordings issue when Attorney General Máire Whelan met with him on Sunday, 23 March. Whelan became aware of the recordings issue the previous November when it was first uncovered by An Garda Síochána.
Kenny subsequently told the Dáil on 26 March – the day after Callinan retired – that Purcell had been dispatched to commissioner’s home in order to convey the gravity of how the government felt about the situation.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said this was tantamount of sacking Callinan.
That revelation this morning, and its confirmation by the Taoiseach, tells me one thing; he said it to inform and convey to him the gravity of how the Taoiseach felt about the issues that were emerging. He essentially sacked him. That is what that means.
But Kenny insisted this was not the case, and told the Dáil during the same heated Leaders’ Questions:
I thought it important that from my perspective given the nature of what lies up ahead that I should have the Garda Commissioner apprised of my view of the gravity of this because when the Deputy and all his people wanted me to confront the Garda Commissioner, it would have been tantamount to expressing no confidence in the Garda Commissioner.
The continued criticism of Kenny prompted the Oireachtas Justice Committee to examine the matter.
But Purcell refused to answer its questions about Callinan and so the committee recommended that the Fennelly Commission examine the circumstances surrounding the commissioner’s departure.
In the months since, the opposition has continued to criticise Kenny over the controversy and the delay in the report emerging has been the subject of much disquiet in political circles.
Some believe it is linked to the impending general election and limiting any political damage to Kenny and the government. But the coalition has pointed out that Fennelly requested an extension to the original deadline, which had been the end of 2014.
There has also been some controversy over reports that some witnesses, including Kenny, have been recalled to give evidence to the inquiry.
The Sunday Times said in March that the Taoiseach, his secretary general Martin Fraser and the Attorney General Whelan were recalled to the inquiry to help resolve conflicting evidence about the events which led to Callinan’s departure.
Kenny has said it would be illegal to either confirm or deny if he had been recalled. But he has repeatedly indicated he did not sack Callinan. He told RTÉ in April:
I am very happy that I have complied here fully with my responsibility. Obviously, be clear on this, the only people I can sack in the country are ministers.
In June, the commission began sending out draft findings to the relevant parties named in the report, including Kenny and Callinan along with senior officials like Purcell, Fraser and Shatter. These parties have been given an opportunity to challenge or respond to any findings against them.
This process has now been completed and the interim report – which is expected to deal primarily with the Callinan departure controversy – has been delivered to the Taoiseach.
The government has repeatedly said there will be no undue delay in making this public.
If Fennelly finds that Kenny did sack Callinan the consequencs would be extremely serious. The Taoiseach would have effectively broken the law as a garda commissioner cannot be sacked without cabinet approval.
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Will it fall behind a radiator after Enda reads it?
Politicians should never keep secrets
Worse Al. It has to go to the AG before its released to the public, to ensure that none of the report would prejudice any current court cases. It will be interesting to see how long that can be drawn out for.
Could be enda story.
Whoever made these allegations against Kenny should be sacked.
Well Al Enda will need to reflect and study in great detail the content of the report before bull 5hitting it trough to the election, Clear and transparent government inaction.
The Endapendent says the Enda is nigh !!!
To the person copying my profile – will you throw out a few more chums. You are lacking them
baz ya left wing troll.. why dont ya go and play with the traffic like a good lefty traitor dirtbag that ya are wink wink
Two Bazs; double the inanity.
I’m sure it’s your bedtime soon Baz, can’t be tired going to school tomorrow or you will end up being a amateur troll when you get to 18.
Someone else will read it for him and cherry pick what they want him to say , he’ll won’t ever be on his own to answer anything
The report will be critical, but it will fall short of blaming anyone in particular and will make a number of recommendations on how to avoid such occurrences in the future. The government might cherry pick one or two of those recommendations and enact them, but by and large it will be ignored and shelved until the next report is commissioned and we do it all over again.
That’s a frighteningly accurate analysis of what will more than likely happen
* by in large
you were right the first time
Hate that.
I think we should also expect something to come up that is completely unrelated. A jobs announcement or something similar. In fact, the scale of whatever distracting other news is probably going to be a good indicator of how badly this report paints all involved.
As Muiris said, it’ll likely be toothless though so maybe an announcement of 20 or 30 jobs someplace in the Wesht will be enough.
How about that the IRA has rearmed and is once again patrolling the streets in NI.
“Expected to be published shortly”. I hate to be cynical but I highly doubt we will see the fennelly report before the next election.
We will see a heavily redacted watered down version. I suspect if we saw the full thing, the government would fall overnight.
Or as they’d say “matters of interest to the public.” Let’s hope a full copy falls into the hands of Catherine Lynch or another able bodied member of the opposition
SF are the Provos. This is all a facade. Baz, you are reality
Have to give you that one Baz, Superb piece of Trolling…LOL , you total Aras hole ;-)
Thanks Todd.
All the controversy’s so far haven’t brought down the govt, I don’t hold much hope that anything will anymore!
Got that wrong didn’t you??
This is Ireland do we really think anything will come from this report or any report besides legal teams making a killing.
If people don’t trust them don’t vote them back. Simple.
Moriarty revisited and Rehab Flannery pulling the strings.
We scream for reports/enquiries to be held, then when they publish we rubbish them #TrulyIrish
Everyone knows what happened. The taoiseach sacked the gardai commissioner. He didn’t send Purcell over for a cup of tea.
it was an exercise in plausible deniability, designed to immunise Kenny.
If Edna has nothing to hide then the report should be made public immediately, no reason to delay it other than to mitigate the electoral damage. Kenny already lied about the legality of confirming his recall so it’s not out of the bounds of possibility that he’ll seek to quash the report should its findings go against him.
The truth will prevail But don’t bank on it
The truth!! The truth!!!!! This crowd can’t handle theTRUTH !!!!!!!!
The truth only matters when it serves SF’s interests?
Come on Baz, there is no deflecting to SF on this one. This is all FG.
This whole story is made up by SF/IRA to deflect, how am I the one deflecting?
Guys – there is a new twitter handle masquerading as me. In fairness I agree with the person posting
Baz…..your a plonker.
*you’re –
Comment from the original baz btw.
This place is gas.
I want in on this cloning thing, i’d love to see a right wing Shinny
We’ve enough shinners thanks
Shinny I’d make it happen but people don’t know your account well enough.
Enda loves me more Baz.
Hey fake Baz. I got this one chum
Baz I thought YFG gave me the Monday night shift?
I Dont know why you connect me with FG. I am voting people before Profit
Hey Baz, what’s up with Baz or maybe Baz you can tell me what’s up with Baz?
Someone has decided to clone me chum. I’m delighted & excited to be honored. Apart from the racist undertones about barrack Obama, he us not doing too bad a job. It’s like having a mini me
Anyway I’m done with this one if anyone wants it. Password is “ObviousJournalTroll”
Ah jaysus fake Baz. I need someone to cover this kenny story. I was not expecting this to break and am playing tennis tomorrow
I trust the journal masses to take on this responsibility.
Going to miss you chum x
@Jamie McCormack ……from Kenny’s arse.
Baz your are really popular around these parts
Can thejournal please apply some kind of flooding protection???
I have no doubt that they would stop at nothing to worm themselves out of this one and that they made sure that they got their stories ‘straight’. So the findings will be inconclusive as not one of them would tell the truth and if they had originally done so; then we would have no need for this report and the waste of citizens money which it incurred.
I sincerely hope the report finds against Kenny. He really needs to go ASAP. The worse Taoiseach ever and he really is up against some stiff opposition there.
If Enda goes down then the country’s hopes go down with him.
If the country’s only hope is kenny then we are well and truly screwed.
Poor old Baz Sammy YFG realgale patjoejoe is not in good form. His beloved enda maybe in big trouble and with a bit of luck his days are numbered
patjoe and realgale wouldn’t be one of my ones
Brilliant. I admire what you do.
Come home soon Baz. We miss you.
Michael from Trollhättan, Sweden
you having a laugh
Baz you are so funny hahahahahahahaha
Ha Ha Ha, Very good … where did you go to school??
Totally agree with Ruth – who in their right mind really expects to get the full uncensored final report. I’m sure when it’s finally made public, Enda will have used his crayons to heavily redact the contents. How did that half wit ever become Taoiseach? It’s a mad world for sure.
I try and take a glass half full approach to it, if a clown like Kenny can end up in the top job then Ireland surely must be the land of unlimited opportunity.
IW will be the demise of the FG/Labour government just as the tax on children’s shoes caused the defeat of Garret the Good’s government. This issue will not see the light of day until after the election. Once the target has being identified predators stay focused and will not be distracted by side issues.
I remember Cumann na nGael reducing OAP. I’d forgotten about taxing kiddies’ shoes. Then Water Charges. There’s a pattern there. How about a Poll Tax or Bedroom Tax?
The next step is a referendum charge of 100 euro to tick your choice in a referendum. Loving this government.
A minority are against Water. The Middle class have and will pay and they’re the ones who will decide the election as they always have, not inner city Shinner and left wing sheep.
I think its 57% that didn’t pay water charges? is that a minority? Nothing wrong with inner city people i’m quite sure they are as good as you are if not a whole lot better, I’m also quite sure that it wont be people like you that will decide the election? Whatever gives you that idea?, Come down off your high horse…you clown
And the blueshirt trolls clench their cheeks and soak their keyboards with tears……
It’s horrible :(
What does it matter? Nothing will be done, thousands spent on this crap and even if found wrong Edna will walk away with a golden handshake. No consequence for the top brass therefore they will continue to do what they do best – wreck the shop! People who protest are locked up, TV licence ‘criminals’ are locked up but Edna? She’ll walk…
sure he gets a 100k plus 30k a year for the 4 years he worked as a school teacher over 40 years ago.
He has had those 40 years of expenses to attend the office. Simply he lives in a different world to us.
The billions he committed us (and our children) to cover IIRC simply defies logic. Check out the chattering magpie blog as to this farce. Would pay for water infrastructure twice over.
Lavbeer, he’s looking at €150k p yr. Plus 3 Lump Sums at least one of which is untaxed.
Publish the full report to the Kenny or risk getting sacked you lying bastid
Enda the line Kenny.
Another whitewash report to file away with all the rest…
Shane – you’re on to something…. It would be an exceptional premise for a political comedy – “The Vault”
We may as well laugh given how this will be spun. I’m not even in the country and I can hear the gears whirring….
Everyone knows Callinan is as blue as they come which is why he was appointed in the first place fell on his sword to protect Enda so there’s blood in the water the question is who strikes first Leo or Richard
@Fran Cowzer:
“The question is who strikes first Leo or Richard”.
Does it really matter?. After the next GE the newly crowned leader of FG will rule over a party of unelected members who, happily, can’t do any more harm for at least 5 years or more (hopefully).
Here here
He backed his boss over the Ban Garda when the Shatter driving affair originally caused him problems. Why the bar receipts weren’t produced from the Oireachtas Hotel Bar. The date was surely known as no way the Garda has made notes without a date. So simple to resolve.
And if FG/LAB do Manage to get back into power……….. Prepare for civil war… Enough of the gravy train and political cronyism enuff is enuff.. My forfathers didnt spill their blood on this land FOR THIS!!!!
Gary U R a mental case chum.
I smell bullsh!t
Noirin o’Sullivan won’t be far behind Callinan I reckon.
His lapdog for years and cut from the same cloth.
Personally I think Kenny should have publicly stated that he thought the Comm. was not up to the job.
Anyone could see he wasn’t suitable when the penalty points and whistleblowers incidents were exposed.
Noirin fed Callinan his lines at the Joint Oireachtas hearing.
I hope there aren’t any strategically placed sofas in Endas’ reading room!
Probably more chance of us getting the Irish Crown jewels back!
Who has them Jarlath ?
Well Kate, apparently after they were stolen by the British they were handed over to the Vatican for safe keeping. Following Independence they were sought but the Vatican had apparently lost the records. So we know at least where to start looking, exactly where we won’t be allowed to look. The vault of Catholicism.
Not being funny but it looks like he deserved to be sacked so if it was done quickly great. It’s a pity they don’t sack the other senior management working within the civil service if they are not doing their job .
The truth will set you free.
FG set the heavy gang on the truth. It’s confessed to a lot of things, some even on the same day but in different countries, just no more “encouragement” to do so.
Some people believe FG are the Law and Order party. What do people be telling themselves.
The control party maybe but the Law and Justice always are told go f themselves when FG is in power.
It’s pretty straight forward Kenny exceed his powers and got the commissioner to resign with out the backing of the government.
If you are waiting for the truth you will be waiting ,lets not forget Kenny and co. were elected with lies . A leopard never changes its spots .
If Enda can keep this under wraps until the budget, we’ll all be getting Ferrari’s in January!
Well if useless joan can abuse the system and summon the garda to further her own and the gov agenda, and quell protestors, then kenny probably thinks he can sack the garda commissioner. I’m sure they’ll just rubbish the findings, just like they were able to get away with the other corruption issues like siteserv. The whole system is rotten. The supposedly independent attorney general determines its lawful that politicians must get pension increases, yet they can legally rob billions out of other peoples private pension funds when they need the money.
Makes his position a joke, doesn’t it.
Ah baz is back again and no one care what he thinks u should just give up you deluded half with
Baz used to be married to my daughter but she dumped him cause he liked to eat dog food straight from the tin, and piss against the sofas. Bit sad, I always liked him.
baz is deluded just like all the left wing liberal traitors on this page.. hope i meet him down a dark ally the lefty facist troll… SQUEEZE YA NECK BARRY !!!
Alright Gary. You need to take ur meds Chum
How are you doing, Baz? Seeing anyone new?
I do, you need to understand the F.G. mind set… / blinkers.
We need st Patrick to come back he has a few more snakes to get rid of
I would to be surprised in the slightest if there is no wrongdoing found. This is Ireland after all. While I hope I’m horribly wrong, let’s not get our hopes up
Nobody has any doubt about what happened and it can never be proved so let’s move on. NEXT.
that quisling kenny is a traitor…. theres a very long rope waiting for him and all his ilk… and i hope to the almighty im the one pulling it… i wont even blink an eye.. jihadi john wont have a patch on me ( may the lord have mercy on my soul!!! )
what a load of complete b******S Irish waters going to end the great dictator not this sideshow!
In your dreams!
The status quo will prevail ,,all involved will continue to get huge pensions at least €3000 a week each ,Garda protection will be afforded to all . In addition the judge will get thousands for compiling the report , a few choice solicitors will get a tidy sum for assisting . The report will whitewash the event ..,it will sit on a bench , dog eared and yellowing together with the Moriarity Report , The Flood Report , The Mahon Report and the myriad other reports past and future ..
Judging by reports this evening the Fennelly report is at the desecration of the Justice minister on what action is taken on complaints about Garda abuse .Did we really expect transparency and truth for this report? While this Government remains in office corruption will continue at the highest level,they are now becoming an embarrassment for the Country
I dislike Kenny but I can’t see how it will be possible to penetrate an arrangement the very purpose of which was to give Kenny plausible deniability. I say that with great regret.,
i expect a heavily massaged version of the report will be made public. the scams and failures are really mounting up this government. between irish water, tds expenses etc. its an omnishambles.
an election is no good if politicians of the same ideology get elected. the opposition is disjointed.
same circus different clowns.
I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if there was no wrongdoing found on the behalf of Kenny, this is Ireland after all. While I hope I’m horribly wrong, let’s not get our hopes up
just hope its the truth,the whole truth,and that’s very doubtful because of the way the people in power manipulate these situations.
This is a non story. Who gives a shit who sacked the commissioner. I’d prefer to know who gave the go ahead to set up the tap.
So the Dept of the Taoiseach commissioned and are paying for this report ???
No lavbeer , we’re paying for it
I never read this article, scrolled straight to comments, I’ll learn far more reading them
Nobody wanted the Garda Commissioner sacked.
If Kenny is found guilty, Callinan should be re-instated and there should be a formal State apology.
Callinan is as bad… one true voice…. are you a sheep?? coz ya sound like one!!! baa baa
He was sacked? I thought he resigned.
An awful lot of people were calling for him to be sacked.
He made a dogs dinner of it, instead of admitting that their was a foul stink in the way the force was handling very serious matters he acted as if everything was superb. We’ve been reading about shocking abuses of power for the last 20 years in the force.
How far in denial is the man?
The sooner the better…
Some of you on The Journal just get so hysterically angry. Why? So many of you seem terrible naive, crying because politicians lie….For God sake of course they lie, they always have and always will in every country on this planet. Ireland is no better and no worse in that regard. Some of you really need to get a grip and lose this faux anger so typical of this social media age.
People were promised and expected better. In general, people expect the politicians they elect to represent them to do just that. This government have made a virtue out of lying, and people are rightly sick of it. In this age of social media, as you put it, people can see through the spin. They no longer have to rely on the propaganda and spin carried by the media.
It might be good enough for you for liars to be elected, it isn’t for the majority.
This stinks to high heaven.
His affair with Leo Varadkar.
Tick tock, tick tock, 10.48 Monday morning and it’s still not released to the public! What you got to hide Kenny?
What a positive group you guys are. You haven’t seen any report and you denigrate it.
Perhaps it should be run through the SF/IRA HQ in Parnell Square to get the answer you want.
They have to wait for the report to be processed by FG before it is released power….
Oh come on….this is far more important than Gerry and his old chums sitting over a criminal empire of €400M and murdering people who dare cross them.
Well the fact that there’s a report at all doesn’t bode well, we still have the right to ridicule.
Speaking of ridicule someone just accused an elected public representative of murder amongst other things. Smell of desperation.
Ahhhh poor Auld Gerry and his lovely beard.
You sound brave …but I think you’re a fool, Making stupid silly statements, I’m sure (Gerry) is a far smarter man than you
Definitely shenanigans going on …BUT, read this tonight: http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/provos-could-easily-switch-back-to-a-military-footing-31487999.html ) -and it is really scary what an alienated voting public could inadvertently let happen. Even the talk of this sort of stuff is dangerous as those foreign companies who directly invest in Ireland now take the stability of the political environment really seriously. Better the Divil you know?
Fear mongering crap from the Indo/Sindo. People are sick of it and the collapse in the readership figures reflects that.
What’s the big deal, move on
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