Garda Headquarters has told Dave Taylor, the former garda press officer who was arrested for leaking information to journalists in 2015, that he is no longer the subject of internal disciplinary proceedings.
The superintendent has been notified in writing that one set of disciplinary proceedings has been cancelled, while senior officers have recommended the force’s internal-affairs division drop a second set of proceedings on the grounds they could be construed as punitive. These proceedings involved alleged breaches of internal garda regulations.
Force management issued the internal proceedings against the superintendent after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) opted not to proceed with a criminal case against him last year.
Taylor was arrested by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) in April 2015 after gardai found incriminating texts on a mobile phone he used. The former special branch officer was suspended by Nóirín O’Sullivan, then the garda commissioner, following his release from custody but reinstated as superintendent in the garda traffic bureau last February.
In a statement at the time, Taylor described his arrest and suspension from the force as being an “incredibly stressful and difficult time” for both himself and his family. “I have now been vindicated and I will shortly be resuming that part of my life which has been put on hold since the start of this process,” he said.
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It’s unclear whether Taylor intends to sue the force for malicious prosecution. He remains the most senior garda ever arrested in the history of the force.
He is due to give evidence before the Disclosures tribunal in the coming weeks about his self-confessed involvement in spreading malicious rumours about garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe, who he falsely suggested had a sexual interest in children.
Taylor used whistleblowers’ legislation to allege he provided this false information to journalists at the behest of the former garda commissioner Martin Callinan. He also claimed O’Sullivan, Callinan’s successor, was aware of his activities. Both have vehemently denied these allegations.
The investigation file prepared by NBCI was passed to Peter Charleton by Garda Headquarters last year when the government appointed the Supreme Court judge to lead the Disclosures tribunal. The file was disclosed to Charleton as it contained evidence which showed Taylor had passed information to a small number of journalists about various investigations but had also sent and received dozens of texts about O’Sullivan, some of which referred to her in vulgar and offensive terms.
The tribunal has failed to find any independent evidence to show that O’Sullivan was involved in any conspiracy to smear McCabe. It has taken statements from witnesses who supported Taylor’s allegations that Callinan had made grossly offensive allegations about the whistleblower.
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A number of journalists who Taylor claims to have briefed negatively about McCabe have denied his claims, and maintain any issues about the whistleblower were never discussed. According to sources, if challenged by the tribunal, Taylor may accept he might have been mistaken in his belief that O’Sullivan was aware of the smear campaign against McCabe. He has not done this formally.
Taylor declined to comment when contacted last week. A garda spokesman also declined to comment.
