The Disclosures Tribunal is investigating claims that Nóirín O’Sullivan was given advance warning by her former press officer Dave Taylor about the publication of a newspaper story concerning the young woman who made allegations of sexual assault against Maurice McCabe, a garda whistleblower.
The commissioner has denied all knowledge of any campaign by gardai to undermine McCabe’s reputation. But sources suggest the tribunal has received information which suggests O’Sullivan was told a journalist was investigating the allegations made against McCabe.
In a statement to the tribunal, which is chaired by Justice Peter Charleton, a Supreme Court judge, Taylor has alleged he told O’Sullivan that the journalist Paul Williams had interviewed the woman who made the allegations in March 2014, and was planning to publish a story.
O’Sullivan is alleged to have called Taylor from her official mobile phone in March 2014, shortly after he sent a text message saying Williams had told him he was to publish a story that subsequently appeared in the Irish Independent.
Taylor has told the tribunal he also informed Martin Callinan, the former garda commissioner, about the same matter. Callinan is alleged to have expressed delight when informed an article could appear, according to Taylor’s evidence. Callinan denies any wrongdoing.
Advertisement
The tribunal has already heard that Williams published articles about unspecified abuse allegations concerning a serving garda and did not identify McCabe, who had been cleared of all wrongdoing by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Williams has told the tribunal he contacted Taylor in his role as the official garda spokesman on various occasions as part of a legitimate exercise because the woman who made the allegations against McCabe, referred to as Miss D, had claimed her original complaint was not properly investigated.
The tribunal is examining the relationship between the current commissioner and Taylor, who was transferred from the garda press office in June 2014 after O’Sullivan took control of the force.
In private sessions with the tribunal, Taylor has admitted he was moved from his job after O’Sullivan discovered he had released a confidential letter sent from Garda HQ to the Department of Justice. The letter said telephone calls to garda stations had been recorded for decades.
The release of the confidential letter prompted the government to appoint Nial Fennelly, a retired Supreme Court judge, to lead a commission of investigation into the affair.
In his statement, Taylor claims he was directed by Callinan to pass the letter to RTE on the morning that the commissioner retired in March 2014. Taylor has told investigators he was removed from his position weeks later after an internal inquiry established he was responsible.
Advertisement
Taylor has told investigators he complied with the instructions as Callinan was still commissioner. Callinan is said to have called Taylor from the garda commissioner’s office.
O’Sullivan has previously said that she transferred Taylor from his post for “operational reasons”.
Garda Headquarters last week said it was committed to co-operating fully with the Disclosures Tribunal and could not comment as the matter was under investigation. Taylor declined to comment.