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Former Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald. Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

'It's not enough to say she can't remember': Frances Fitzgerald under pressure in McCabe email row

Tánaiste and former Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has come under fire over how much she knew.

OPPOSITION POLITICIANS HAVE called for the former Justice Minister to give greater clarity over what she knew about a strategy to attack the credibility of a garda whistleblower.

Tánaiste and former Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has come under fire after it was revealed that she received an email in May 2015.

The email concerned a row that had developed between the legal team for the then-Garda Commissioner Nórirín O’Sullivan and lawyers for garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe during the O’Higgins Commission of Investigation.

Speaking in the Dáil last night, Fitzgerald said the Department of Justice informed her last Thursday that the email had been located that was sent to her about the subject in May 2015. She said she did not remember the email when it was brought up last week.

original (2) The email in question. TheJournal.ie TheJournal.ie

The email mentions an allegation that “a serious criminal complaint against Maurice McCabe – which he had always denied – had not been properly investigated by the Garda Siochána”.

Its relevance comes after it was revealed by RTÉ last year that former Commissioner  O’Sullivan’s legal team had been instructed to “challenge the motivation and credibility of Sergeant McCabe” during the O’Higgins Commission.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil last week that Fitzgerald was not aware of this until “after the fact, around the time it entered the public domain”.

Clarification 

Speaking yesterday, Fitzgerald said she likely did not remember the email as it said she did not need to take action.

“I can only assume that I did read it but I did not remember it when I spoke to the Taoiseach,” she said.

Speaking today on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Social Democrats TD Roisin Shortall said that greater clarity was needed over how much Fitzgerald had known and why she had taken no action.

“It is unbelievable that the minister – if she had read that – would not have taken some action,” said Shortall.

Clearly alarm bells should have started ringing.

Shortall said that the email sent to Fitzgerald showed for the first time that former Commissioner O’Sullivan had attempted to use disproved allegations against McCabe to undermine his credibility.

“The question is what if anything did Frances Fitzgerald do about the information she received in 2015,” she said.

McCabe has disputed that the issue Fitzgerald was alerted about in the email was not discussed at the O’Higgins Commission.

Shortall said Fitzgerald needed to provide greater clarity over what she knew and why she didn’t remember seeing the email.

“It’s not enough to say ‘I can’t remember’,” said Shortall.

“She either did read it and didn’t respond appropriately, or there is something seriously wrong in the department, where the email and the important information in it wasn’t brought to her attention.

And we need to know which of these things it is. And we also need to know why it is that there is a contradiction between what is contained in that email and what Maurice McCabe is actually saying to the Taoiseach.

With reporting from Daragh Brophy and Orla Ryan

Read: Frances Fitzgerald sends TDs email at centre of Maurice McCabe row

Read: Government insists it had no ‘hand, act or part’ in McCabe legal strategy as questions mount 

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Getyercoat
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    Apr 20th 2014, 6:42 PM

    Strangest headline ever.

    631
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    Mute Brian Flynn
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    Apr 20th 2014, 6:48 PM

    Agreed. Should read “Excellent arrest by Gardai after Robbery incident in Artane”.

    Well done!

    657
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    Mute Drama Dave
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:02 PM

    A man walks into a Dublin petrol station. He robs a yellow cylinder and leaves by the back door. He is stopped by a routine garda patrol who ask him: “What did you do that for?” To which he replies: “Ah boys, sure i only did it for the gas.”

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    Mute ThomasFrancisMeagher
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:49 PM

    Sad thing is that the same gurrier will probably be arrested again tomorrow or the day after for a similar offence & when eventually charged will get a suspended sentence ….. and go on to reoffend again & again. Time for our judicial system to start being fit for purpose & handing down proper sentences & time for a jail to be built to keep these gurriers away from the good people in society.

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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Apr 21st 2014, 9:50 AM

    Or maybe “tax collectors on way to set up speed trap catch thief”
    Sub heading ” government enquiry to be set up as to why money collectors were stopping crime rather than making money” two guards to be suspended.

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    Mute Pete L Tímoni
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    Apr 21st 2014, 10:24 AM

    Someone clearly
    has the hump. They do their job and u still have a go. If u don’t like being done for speeding then don’t speed!! Your clearly well aware that it could happen. So , believe it or not, you have the choice to avoid it by slowing down.

    20
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    Mute Gizmo mac
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    Apr 20th 2014, 6:45 PM

    All those who slate the guards are probably sittin on their h#les eatin Easter eggs today while those lads out on the front line are lookin after us! Thanks lads, yere management have let ye down but you guys in the cold face are doin a great job!

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    Mute Gizmo mac
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    Apr 20th 2014, 6:50 PM

    Coal face

    106
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    Mute enda nolan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 6:52 PM

    It’s the corrupt element in the guards let them down

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    Mute Gizmo mac
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    Apr 20th 2014, 6:55 PM

    I alluded to that fact.

    115
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    Mute enda nolan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 6:56 PM

    Your saying management let them down it’s not management only

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    Mute Gizmo mac
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:00 PM

    To a large extent yes.

    116
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    Mute enda nolan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:24 PM

    It’s not management that has let them down its corrupt garda the ones on the coal face as you call them I m not saying all garda are corrupt but there s an element through the force nation wide that are it all can’t be blamed on management

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    Mute Gizmo mac
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:29 PM

    You’re talkin some rot there lad. It doesn’t even make any sense, where’s your evidence to support this rogue element?

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    Mute enda nolan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:34 PM

    Enda kenny came out last week says he has 36 cases to go through the Ian bailey case fr Molloy Ming says he has being told of more cases you watch fella it’s not just going be one or two cases

    30
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    Mute Gizmo mac
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:40 PM

    Some very reliable sources there buddy!!

    103
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    Mute enda nolan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:45 PM

    Which of them is unreliable

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    Mute Montys Moonshine
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:50 PM

    I think you’ll find enda, that the complaints are coming from guards and are about senior management. You’re all mixed up kid

    108
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    Mute Gizmo mac
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:54 PM

    Enda put away your baileys Easter egg your headeen is melted!!

    78
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    Mute enda nolan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:59 PM

    You think it’s all done by senior management your joking your selves

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    Mute Dan Slevin
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:33 PM

    Not bein pedantic but is it not “coal face” great comment though

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    Mute executioner
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:37 PM

    You seem to be like one of those keyboard experts who has an opinion on every story on the journal,Public servant are we? Either that or on the scratcher must be great to have so much time to spout bs.

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    Mute Brian Flynn
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    Apr 20th 2014, 9:20 PM

    Sorry Enda you lost me at Ming!

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    Mute Patrice Lelookcoco
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    Apr 20th 2014, 10:12 PM

    Gizmo, Enda. Get a room. Yawn..

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    Mute Andy
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    Apr 21st 2014, 5:25 AM

    Enda, does your keyboard not have any fullstops / commas? Or are you simply incapable of punctuation?

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    Mute Jason Ebbs
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    Apr 20th 2014, 6:45 PM

    And who said “the Gardaí are never around when you need them” !!

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    Mute mark ryan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:57 PM

    Fair f$$$in play to the guards, height of respect for the ones actually out walkin the streets of this dangerous city every day.

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    Mute TOP CAT
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    Apr 20th 2014, 6:52 PM

    Another master criminal of the streets….
    These criminals are getting thicker by the day.
    Fair play to the Gardai for getting him..

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    Mute cosmological
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    Apr 20th 2014, 6:51 PM

    If there were more patrols you’d get more of this. Funding, again, a priority.

    212
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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Apr 21st 2014, 9:54 AM

    Hang on if we caught more criminals it would cost a fortune in free legal aid, not to mention the cost of a trail and the cost of pretending to lock them up after sentencing.
    It’s much better to have less guards and let the filth rob and steal all they as long as stay out of certain areas.

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    Mute aido m
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:40 PM

    10-1 he has many previous convictions .is known to the gardai .and will be back in the streets in a day if not hours due to our TOP CLASS judicial system.well done to the guards but they must seriously get frustrated at times ,don’t know how they do it

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    Mute Kenneth Hickey
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:45 PM

    Well done to the Gardai involved and thank you.

    130
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    Mute Eagle eye
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:26 PM

    Enda you numpty, I’m sure his point was that this is what most Gardai do everyday, facing down armed criminals with a baton while people like you tar the whole force over the actions of tiny percentage who let them down

    119
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    Mute enda nolan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:07 PM

    Did I tar them all I said a corrupt element in the guards how is that tarring them all

    19
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    Mute Danny Swan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:04 PM

    Why didn’t you become one so or are you too stupid or windy

    26
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    Mute mark ryan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:06 PM

    Is that aimed at me?

    12
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    Mute Kieran brennan
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:42 PM

    Sure it’s Easter Sunday. The place will be full of guards for the OT.

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    Mute Aireach
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    Apr 21st 2014, 1:51 AM

    Kieran you are a poorly informed fool.

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    Mute Luke Vogelsang
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    Apr 20th 2014, 7:43 PM

    For once the guards’ are around when needed!!!!

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    Mute Alan De Morrighan
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    Apr 21st 2014, 2:23 AM

    Just wondering if bladed implement is a politically correct term for slash hook?

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    Mute Kieran Cahill Denise Cuddihy
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    Apr 21st 2014, 12:47 AM

    And then she said,she said who the fook cares and that was the end of that…..

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    Mute Rusty3578 ^
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    Apr 20th 2014, 8:05 PM

    Sure I don’t blame him he needed money !

    6
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