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Maurice McCabe Laura Hutton/RollingNews.ie

As it happened: Political turmoil over the Maurice McCabe whistleblowing smears

Pressure is increasing on government ministers and Tusla over who knew what about the Maurice McCabe story.

THE STORY OF how Tusla got involved with Maurice McCabe has been developing at breakneck speed today – and it’s not clear how it’s all going to end.

Since the story broke yesterday evening about Tusla – the Child and Family Agency – circulating a false allegation of sex abuse against garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe, there have been recriminations about who knew about it, what they did, and exactly who is to blame for it all.

We’re following this story as it develops. Stick with us.

Hi folks, it’s Christine Bohan here, following this extraordinary story.

Got something to say about it all? Let us know in the comments below, mail us at tips@thejournal.ie or tweet me @christinebohan.

A little moment of humour from the excellent Mallow News before we get stuck in:

homer

So how did we get here? Let’s have a really quick recap:

  • In September 2006, the daughter of a garda who worked with Sergeant Maurice McCabe made a complaint that McCabe had tickled and made inappropriate gestures towards her eight years previously, when she was six years old.
  • This allegation was investigated by gardaí and the DPP was informed about it, but it was found there was no grounds for bringing charges against McCabe.
  • In 2013, the girl, who was then aged 21, had an appointment with a counsellor, who has not yet been identified. What happened in the meeting is not known. However afterwards, Tusla was told that the woman had made an allegation that she had been abused – including digital penetration – when she was six. The gardaí were also informed.
  • Maurice McCabe was not told about the new allegation. It took place at around the time that he had acted as a whistleblower on garda activities.
  • Earlier this week, Labour leader Brendan Howlin told the Dáil that some journalists had been told about the sexual abuse allegation against McCabe at the time of his whistleblowing, in a bid by gardaí to discredit him.
  • Yesterday, the Irish Examiner broke the story that Tusla said it had made a mistake by including the allegation in the girl’s file, and that it had been a copy-and-paste error which should not have been there.
  • Questions are now being raised about which government ministers knew about this – and when they found out.

Katherine Zappone PA PA

The focus over the past few hours has shifted to Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone.

Sources inside the government have confirmed that Zappone did not inform Cabinet on Tuesday about the mistake by Tusla, despite already knowing about it. This would seem to be extremely unusual not to mention this.

However in a statement this afternoon, Zappone said that she informed the “relevant Government colleagues” about the mistake.

However, she has not – and according to several political correspondents on Twitter, is refusing to – clarify exactly who these ‘relevant Government colleagues are’. And, as Today FM journalist Gavan Reilly has pointed out, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald does not seem to have been informed about it when she spoke to the Dáil earlier this week. So if she isn’t considered relevant, who exactly is?

Here’s Katherine Zappone’s statement in full, which was sent to the media just over an hour ago:

Statement

Note that in it, she says that she became aware of the false allegations – and the effect that they had on the McCabe family – in January, and met Maurice McCabe and his wife on 25 January.

This line raises more questions than it answers:

Minister Zappone was always of the view that Tusla would form part of the investigation by the Commission of Inquiry.

She’s talking about the O’Neill Report, parts of which were published on Tuesday, which set out the terms of reference for the inquiry into the smears against Maurice McCabe.

You can read the terms of reference here.

My colleague Christina Finn is down at Leinster House to see what the reaction is among TDs (well, the ones who are there, at least – a lot of TDs go back to their constituencies on Friday when the Dáil isn’t sitting).

She has gotten confirmation that Katherine Zappone did not raise the Tusla issue at all at Cabinet on Tuesday:

Two ministers have said this was not raised at Cabinet, at all

One senior minister said: “I was totally taken aback at last night’s revelations. What happened to McCabe was totally unacceptable. I’m totally baffled at what has happened”.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin is questioning why Katherine Zappone would not have told Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald about the Tusla mess.

Zappone still hasn’t said that she didn’t tell Fitzgerald about it – but judging by what Fitzgerald said in the Dáil the other day, she did not know anything about it (or else was not telling the truth to the chamber).

More from Christina Finn in Leinster House – including the promise of ‘serious discussions’ at next week’s Cabinet meeting about Zappone:

The feeling within senior ranks of the FG party is that TDs are very anxious to get the terms of reference [of the upcoming Commission of Inquiry] off the ground now and get going with the investigation

One senior government source said there will be serious discussions next week at Cabinet over why Zappone omitted to tell her ministerial colleagues

One TD told her that the Commission of Inquiry – which is expected to take 6-8 months – needs to start as soon as possible, saying:

The sooner we get on with the inquiry the better. We need to get all the paperwork done, get on with it and get to the truth. We need to get on with the full report and make it broad

Another Fine Gael TD told her that while some people think there was possible collusion among authorities in this case, the facts need to come out as soon as possible to definitively answer the question.

John Wilson – who was also a garda whistleblower – has been speaking to Shannonside about what has happened to Maurice McCabe.

Wilson said the treatment of McCabe was the worst scandal in the history of the Irish republic.

Listen to it here.

Fine Gael TD Jim Daly says a request has been sent to Fred McBride, the head of Tusla, to appear before an Oireachtas Committee to answer questions.

Just how bad could this be for the government? Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane thinks it could spell the end:

Speaking to my colleague Christina Finn outside Leinster House in the past few minutes, Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald says she thinks Frances Fitzgerald was “less than forthcoming” when she spoke to the Dáil about the matter yesterday – and that if the Minister doesn’t correct the Dáil record, then she should resign.

TheJournal.ie / YouTube

Here’s some of what she says:

“Minister Zappone’s statement makes very clear that she did in fact brief Cabinet colleagues as regards Maurice McCabe and Tusla, and this goes against the government line that has been spun all day today,” McDonald says.

“I think that Frances Fitzgerald, the Minister for Justice,  needs to immediately make a statement on these matters. Katherine Zappone says she briefed relevant Cabinet colleagues – no Cabinet position is more relevant than that of Justice.

“And therefore I believe that Frances Fitzgerald was less than forthcoming with the truth on the floor of the Dail yesterday in response to a question from myself.

“We need answers to those matters. The Tanaiste needs to correct the record of the Dail, I believe, and if she’s not prepared to do that, I believe that her position would be untenable.”

David Cullinane isn’t the only TD who thinks the government is in a precarious situation right now.

One backbench TD has told my colleague Christina Finn that this Tusla scandal could have legs, and could be so serious that it could bring down the government.

The TD also suggested Garda Commissioner Nóirin O’Sullivan could be in jeopardy – and noted that to lose one commissioner would be bad but to lose two in the space of less than three years would be a disaster.

Commission of Inquiry RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

There are strong rumours that Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald will be releasing a statement this evening to clarify if Katherine Zappone told her about the Tusla mess or not.

JUST IN: Frances Fitzgerald has released a statement (she’s obviously reading the liveblog).

Frances

Having read that statement from Frances Fitzgerald several times, it still doesn’t shed any light on exactly when she found out about what Tusla did.

She says that she knew that Zappone was meeting with Maurice McCabe, but is adamant that Zappone did the right thing in not telling her anything about the ‘confidential Tusla records’. So when exactly did she find out? Did she actually know about it when she was questioned about it in the Dáil yesterday?

JUST IN: RTE’s Katie Hannon has broken a story about a second garda whistleblower who says a case about him was referred to Tusla “as part of a campaign of harassment against him by a senior garda”.

Hannon writes that she has seen correspondence showing that Frances Fitzgerald was in correspondence with the garda about the child protection Tusla notification, which was made by one of his superiors in An Garda Síochána. The HSE said there was no evidence of abuse in the case.

 

 

 

 

Oops: Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness says that Tusla accidentally delivered the apology to Maurice McCabe to McCabe’s elderly neighbour instead earlier today.

They’re not having the best of days.

John McGuinness’s interview on RTE One just now was interesting – he’s become the first Fianna Fáil TD to call for Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan to stand aside.

Brendan Howlin isn’t too impressed with this:

Well, this would explain why she didn’t mention it in her statement:

So if Frances Fitzgerald only found out about the Tusla scandal last night – from the media –  that means she wasn’t one of the “relevant Government colleagues” that Katherine Zappone told about it.

This raises a whole lot of questions, but two in particular: why did Minister Zappone not tell the Minister for Justice about this? And if she didn’t tell the Minister for Justice, who exactly did she tell?

Speaking after a function in Waterford this afternoon, Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan gave her first public comments about Tusla’s involvement.

She said it was terrible thing to happen to anybody and “our thoughts are with Sergeant McCabe and his family”.

So just to be clear, both Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald knew that Katherine Zappone had met with Maurice McCabe – but neither were told about what happened with Tusla.

90429539_90429539 RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Mary Lou McDonald is referring to the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste allegedly not knowing anything about Tusla’s role in the smear campaign against Maurice McCabe.

And on that note, Paul Murphy asks the obvious question:

Why didn’t she tell them? And why didn’t they ask?

A statement has just landed from Katherine Zappone.

She says it would have been “highly inappropriate” to brief the Cabinet on confidential information about Tusla, which she assumed was going to be investigated by the upcoming Commission of Inquiry.

zappone statement

More from Mary Lou McDonald, who is pushing hard against the Tánaiste.

The Sinn Féin deputy leader has said that this evening’s statement from Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald in relation to her knowledge of Túsla’s role in the scandal impacting Sgt Maurice McCabe is not credible.

MLMD TheJournal.ie / YouTube TheJournal.ie / YouTube / YouTube

“It is alarming that the Tánaiste, having misled the Dáil yesterday, should continue her cycle of evasion this evening. Her version of events is not credible.

“I repeat my call for the Tánaiste to correct the record of the Dáil.

“She should resign if she is not prepared to do so.

“This scandal goes to the very heart of the integrity of government in this state. Nothing but the full truth and the disclosure of an accurate version of events will suffice. It is the very least that Sgt McCabe and his family deserve after everything they have been put through.”

On the Nine O’Clock News on RTE One just now, Katie Hannon quoted Maurice McCabe’s wife as saying it was “insulting and shocking” that Tusla managed to mistakenly deliver the apology to the McCabe’s elderly neighbour today.

McCabe

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120 Comments
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    Mute Brendan Luke Ferron
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:34 PM

    It is just ridiculous that Katherine Zappone feels she can say that she told relevant ministers but refuse to name who she told. This is one of the worst political scandals this country has seen and it is untenable that he feels she can simply withhold this information. She needs to say who she told, when she told them, and the contents of the discussion – if she doesn’t she needs to resign in utter disgrace! As for the likes of Shane Ross, last year he would have been shouting about accountability but is now silent in defence of his Ministerial Merc, new politics, yeah right!

    171
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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:25 PM

    It makes no logical sense that..,

    1. You learn Garda officers may be involved in spreading vicious lies about a fellow officer and whistleblower

    2. …and you not only don’t immediately pick up the phone and tell the Taoiseach but also do t tell the Guards boss and no2 person in charge of the country!

    3. THEN not being it up at a cabinet meeting

    Even if you were incompetent you should have the savvy political sense to smell a crises that can bring down your minority govt ffsake

    No they know something else and are not saying it, which will only dig their hole deeper.
    They’re better off getting it all out trying to hide more looks worse

    51
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    Mute James
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:40 PM

    Just heard they incorrectly sent the apology to his next door neighbor … You can only assume any paperwork relating to the false allegations were destined to go there as well… Clerical error my hole… it’s obvious they wanted them known about in the community….

    58
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    Mute Bobby Phelan
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:45 PM

    Now we know there is a massive possibility mary boyles case has being covered up we need to keep questioning the establishment.

    44
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    Mute Bull Spite
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:53 PM

    @Bobby Phelan: Cover-ups are a dreadful thing and should lead to the responsible politicians standing aside

    20
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    Mute john Appleseed
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:12 PM

    Too right! To hound a man and label him a child abuser. Beggars belief

    31
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    Mute Harry Price
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    Feb 10th 2017, 9:14 PM

    @Brendan Luke Ferron: the most corrupt little country in the world run by a cabal of gangesters attached to a political mafia

    18
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    Mute gregory
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:15 PM

    Frances has to go. She’s the boss.

    8
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    Mute Christopher Gardiner
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:24 PM

    Any right minded citizen in this country should be outraged by this story. How Dare Tusla try to destroy a man who did a service to the country and expose corruption. I am sicked that a smear campaign was aimed at him. The media has the gall to talk about Trump and his misguided policies. What about this place. Irelands Gardai have to be the most twisted organisation in the country and the so called commissioners are the ones who are disgusting not the individual Guards. Any politician who had mislead the Dail in any way should be immediately sacked and then the whole quack government that is presiding over a completely busted state should resign and allow someone competent to run it. Our health service is also run by corrupt Managers sponging the life out of it with massive salaries and hiding the truth. There is no Truth left in this sad little republic. We should do the honorable thing and tear down that filth establishment called the government.

    162
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    Mute Bobby Phelan
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:41 PM

    make Mccabe commissioner sack Sullivan

    84
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    Mute ciaran
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:10 PM

    @Bobby Phelan: enough time to call time

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    Mute Les Behan
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:17 PM

    I wonder who is going to have to take the fall this time? Definitely no one in government!

    34
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    Mute Fear Uisce
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:18 PM

    @christopher, Time to do like the French, let’s discard the farce we have at the moment and declare the Second Republic.

    44
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    Mute John Considine
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:37 PM

    @Les Behan: One of Zappone or Fitzgerald will have to go. If Zappone did tell Fitzgerald, and she subsequently lied on the floor of the house, then she has to lose her Ministerial position. I think this is the more likely result but, obviously, if Zappone wasn’t competent enough to copy her in, a literal no-brainer, then she would have to take the bullet instead.

    None of this is anything but a distraction though. People need to be going to prison for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice after this. Quite a few people, maybe even the Commissioner herself if it does end up stopping at her door.

    44
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    Mute watersedge
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:42 PM

    Paul Williams released an article in 2014 in the Independent about the sex abuse allegations without naming Maurice Mc Cabe. Apparently, Paul is being protected by the gardai and the government regarding a dirty little secret he has. You rub my back, i’ll rub yours. They are all in it together, rotten, the whole lot of them.

    53
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    Mute Scarlett Milton
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:44 PM

    @Christopher Gardiner: what we need is a minister for truth,i nominate Jarry ,i was not in the IRA for this job

    12
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    Mute Super Ted
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:47 PM

    This false info was circulated for months to other Garda members and the media (before the allegations were withdrawn), firstly to discredit McCabe & secondly to mentally torture and break him for being a whistle-blower and also as a lesson and warning to anybody else who might think of coming forward with information/evidence of corruption within the Gardai. Absolutely disgusting and shameful behaviour!

    61
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    Mute Dot Com
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:57 PM

    So government bodies manufacturing stories of child abuse, Is this the first time they did this.Secondly now the HSE waiting lists and simon lebon Harris get a breather from the pressure for change. Is this North Korea or just Ireland under KGB rule.

    25
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    Mute Bejasus Bejorrah
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:11 PM

    What had this got to do with gerrymandering Adams you utter imbecile

    32
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    Mute Bejasus Bejorrah
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:12 PM

    Haha…predictive text..you know what I’m saying. .

    17
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    Mute Jimmyjoe Wallace
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:59 PM

    John Considered, you are right, but Zappone will be shafted, she’s not a political insider.

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    Mute William T Smith
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:55 PM

    @ciaran: now is the time.

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    Mute Enda Kennny
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    Feb 11th 2017, 9:01 AM

    @Scarlett Milton: quick look over there…….

    pathetic!!

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    Mute Paul Gurney
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    Feb 11th 2017, 10:47 AM

    @Les Behan: EXACTLY LES AND NOTICE THE FRONT RUNNER FALL GUY AT THE MOMENT IS AN INDEPENDENT …..FG ARE CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO TAKE THE LASH FOR IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER

    1
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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:30 PM

    Incredible this whole thing was to be excused due to a “clerical error”. Infuriating the coverage is focusing on the fallout from it as it were fact.

    83
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    Mute Mr Snuffleupagus
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:00 PM

    @Charlie Fogarty: It was no error. Accidentally copying and pasting your porn links on the journal website when trying to copy and paste research, that’s an accident. Copying and pasting the most serious allegation that can be levelled against someone. is not an error. It was done to discredit and have the rumour mill turnover.

    If the employee responsible for the error comes forward and explains their mistake, then maybe, just maybe, there could be calm. If it was me that made that error. I’d be on to a journalist right now explaining and apologising and handing in my notice to quit my job.

    82
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    Mute ciaran
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:16 PM

    @Mr Snuffleupagus: shut d f//k up this is and will be a political hand grenade, there is no handling of it, got it?

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:32 PM

    Watch your GP or psychiatrist or counsiler add notes next time you have an appointment

    Some don’t do it until you go but watch when they do. You don’t accidentally press CNTL V or right click, menu, paste THEN see a block of text appear you didn’t mean to and not notice

    Let’s even give her benefit of doubt and say this was part of a block of text and paragraph 6 wasn’t meant to be there…that’s an official medical record a legal file it’s a crime to tamper with or falsify…she didn’t proof read?

    This reminds me of the missing minutes on the Nixon tapes where the secretary would have had to be in a hilarious acrobatic position to press the peddles when typing the way she claimed. Or how Judge Curtain, facing impeachment, claimed the child porn got there by a Trojan horse (as if they’re designed to PURT info as opposed to robbing it as is the reality). It’s an insult to our intelligence

    27
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    Mute Jimmyjoe Wallace
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:58 PM

    Tellingly the Gardai didn’t investigate this case of ‘sexual abuse’ and it’s very obvious why they didn’t, they knew it was a fit up. What that man (mcCabe) has gone through in recent years has been nothing short of horrific, and all because he tried to do the state some service. It’s a sad indictment of the failed state we have created. Heads have to roll now, not in eighteen months when some inquiry reports back.

    50
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    Mute Theunpopularpopulist
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    Feb 10th 2017, 7:11 PM

    The real question is will the civil servant who made this so called “admin error” be disciplined?

    In the private sector you lose your job (and defined benefit pension) and rightly so.

    Some accountability and consequences is necessary to prove to the taxpayer that public and civil servants are at least held to some basic standards

    15
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    Mute Dusty Mooney
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:23 PM

    No the real question is why does the top brass in the Gardai consistently attempt to utterly destroy the reputation and lives of those who dare to blow the whistle on corruption and incompetence in our police force.

    28
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    Mute Dusty Mooney
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:24 PM

    And why do FG and their coalition partners FF stand behind such naked abuse of power?

    19
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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:43 PM

    @Dusty Mooney: Because we keep voting for them, so they can do what they pretty much like and we’ll forget it in no time.

    17
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    Mute Dusty Mooney
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:56 PM

    Stephen, The combined FF and FG vote has been declining for decades though obviously not quickly enough.

    11
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    Mute Larry Kavanagh
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    Feb 10th 2017, 9:27 PM

    @Theunpopularpopulist: Why do you say it was a civil servant?

    1
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    Mute Albert Brennerman
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    Feb 10th 2017, 9:44 PM

    @Dusty Mooney: Thats the spin Dusty , this is government , not Gardai, this had all tentacles of the state, you’d suspect possibly any campaign was emanating from leinster house now. Politicians need to be directly in the any state inquiry.

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    Mute gregory
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:19 PM

    Frances has to go

    5
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    Mute John Henry
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:33 PM

    @gregory: Enda has to go. Corruption from the top down.

    5
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    Mute Joe Keogh
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    Feb 11th 2017, 11:58 AM

    @Theunpopularpopulist: I do not believe a single person could make a mistake like this. There must be a team of people involved in this matter.

    2
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    Mute James Doyle
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    Feb 11th 2017, 12:12 PM

    @Jimmyjoe Wallace: We don’t do head rolling in this corrupt little so called Republic. That only happen’s in a proper democratic country, eg the UK. where even Royalty will find themselves before the court’s if found to have broken the law. What a parcel of rouge’s we have ruining our hard won Republic Time to clean out the swamp and build a proper democratic socialist Republic, the present set up stink’s, and the establishment political class and state apparatus will cover up if at all possible any scandal, or corruption that threaten’s their staying on the gravy train, funded by the citizens taxes. All for one one for all.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:23 PM

    Question is now is will Zappone fall on her sword and protect the Government or does she bring down the house of cards.

    73
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    Mute Eye_c_u
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:43 PM

    I personally hope mccabe cleans them all out. Garda management stink to high heaven. If it’s proven what’s been alleged then I think Mountjoy has a few free spaces waiting

    70
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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:49 PM

    Zappone will not go quietly…. wait for it…. TIIIIIIIMMMMMBERRRRRRR.

    36
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    Mute Alex Falcone
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:05 PM

    Things are starting to unravel nicely.
    When you see Michael Lowry still hobnobbing with party members it tells you all you need to know about Fine Gael.

    53
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    Mute Mr Snuffleupagus
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:26 PM

    @Alex Falcone: I heard a repeated interview with PaT Kenny yesterday in which he clearly says tat media people have long known about this allegation. so, that automatically discredited McCabe in the eyes of the media. They’d be far slower to give him positive coverage if they thought this was true – it’s human nature. So, if it was widely known in media circles, then it was also well known in political circles. So the original intention to discredit was well and truly served. I hope he has his day in court.

    46
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    Mute Jimmyjoe Wallace
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:13 PM

    But it’s mother just fine gaelynn is it Alex? It’s a number of institutions of the state that are allegedly corrupt. The Gardai, the legislature and TUSLA. Like it or not, we are living in a failed state that was hijacked by the gombeens back in the day, and they’ve never let go. We are a Republic in name only. The worse part is we keep reflecting the same gom beens and expecting different results, kinda like Einstein theory.

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    Mute Jimmyjoe Wallace
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:18 PM

    More than just just fine gael. (WTF is my auto correct on about?)

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    Mute Alan Ball
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:16 PM

    I always felt Zappone was a bit arrogant,but this is taking the arrogance to a whole new level.She is as guilty as those who are trying to discredit mccabe by using the information to gain an advantage in a political game and as for tulsa….disgusting behaviour.

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    Mute Chris Finn
    Favourite Chris Finn
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:06 PM

    Absolute sc#m

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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
    Favourite Anne Marie Devlin
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:11 PM

    Of all the scandals we’ve been through, this must certainly be amongst the worst. Allegation of sexual abuse of a child levelled at McCabe after he blew the whistle on a colleague, the allegation later retracted. A counsellor from a government agency accidently copies and pastes a horrendous allegation into McCabe’s files and those allegations get disseminated. How can a counsellor for TUSLA edit files? Surely you do not have the possibility to alter allegations of that nature. The relevant minister is informed and allegedly tells colleagues, yet no-one seems to know. This has gone so far beyond what is acceptable in society. Putin has a lot to learn.

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    Mute Bingobango
    Favourite Bingobango
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:13 PM

    A picture of a video. Top content as per from the Journal.

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    Mute Billy Larkin
    Favourite Billy Larkin
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:17 PM

    GUBU

    21
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    Mute Brinster
    Favourite Brinster
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:40 PM

    Which Ministers Knew?

    When did they know?

    Did any of them lie about knowing?

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    Mute ciaran
    Favourite ciaran
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:34 PM

    @Brinster: every one who knew quietly = guilty

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    Mute Maire
    Favourite Maire
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:10 PM

    One Word BIZARRE!

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    Mute duisigheire
    Favourite duisigheire
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:32 PM

    nice little distraction away from the waiting list crisis…… considering they all knew for months possible years.

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    Mute Shane Carroll
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:55 PM

    Not really,this doesn’t make the government look good. In fact it makes them look more corrupt and incompetent in conspiring to smear the reputation of a man who has dared expose and go against the state. This should bring down the government but people just don’t care so they will get away with it.

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    Mute Brian Ward
    Favourite Brian Ward
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:00 PM

    Fine Gael and their cronies are always the first ones to point their fingers at everyone else an adopt a “holier than thou” attitude as though they were better than the rest of us. Well now they have been truly been kicked off their high horses and are up to their necks in the muck. It is my firm belief that the allegations against McCabe were in no way a “mistake” and that there is a desperate cover up going on. Zapone should have spent more time watching her department then spending €400.000 per refugee child which is in itself an affront to children on waiting lists because of lack of funding.

    The Fine Gael “government” has shown it’s true colours and needs to gp. It lies, smears and underhandedly tries to ruin people in the most cowardly and insidious way. It’s needs to go ad needs to go now. Shame on the lot of them.

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    Mute James
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:38 PM

    Those with the dirtiest hands are usually the quickest to point fingers…

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    Mute Lisa Dorothy
    Favourite Lisa Dorothy
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:34 PM

    I just can’t believe that a mistake like this could happen.

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    Mute Allan O'Shea
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:40 PM

    Not a mistake. This was done on purpose to destroy McCabe.

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    Mute Lisa Dorothy
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:48 PM

    @Allan O’Shea: That’s why I said I couldn’t believe it.

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    Mute Allan O'Shea
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:16 PM

    Sorry Lisa.

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    Mute Joseph Dempsey
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:37 PM

    Mind boggling the stupidity of certain ministers, Agencies and Garda management. I predict a few resignations and just maybe an election.

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    Mute Willie the kid
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:44 PM

    End of the day everyone will have complete confidence in everyone & we just move along to next crisis….

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    Mute China Photo Daily
    Favourite China Photo Daily
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:52 PM

    What a surprise Zappone is in the thick of it. A woman who cares about her own self interest and her ideology, the actual public interest doesn’t even register with her.

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    Mute William Clay
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:31 PM

    6 to 8 month commission. For fcuk sake, is that all these ff/fg filth can come up with. Up to their eyes in scandals and still they come up with ways to cream more money for their mates.

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    Mute Turlough O' Connor
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:15 PM

    This lot in power are nothing but a dirty shower of reprobates…(including those supporting them in office)
    When will we ever learn..

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    Mute Ciaran Adamson
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:38 PM

    If the only punishment for all this is to be several golden handshakes and topped up pensions, I don’t think there is any point in an enquiry.

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    Mute Noel
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:38 PM

    Taoiseach Kenny not safe with this story going on ! Previous Taoiseach AR said it’s the little things that trip you up !

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    Mute filthypete
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:21 PM

    I know this won’t make sense later. At the moment it’s a live blog of someone else’s work that is a screen grab instead of a link and the fact that there’s more to come. Pretty poor.

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    Mute Bobby Phelan
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:44 PM

    if ff stay in government with fg after this they are just as guilty.

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    Mute Chef Harold
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:09 PM

    Ends and the cabinet don’t seem to understand how serious this is. The disgusting level Garda management stooped to, in an effort to protect their corruption. The lack of support from government for a man trying to highlight the corruption. The dishonesty of various senior gardai, politicians and management of other state agencies needs to be addressed immediately, not in the coming months as part of another enquiry. Realistically Enda needs to get ahead of this, or we could have no government by morning

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    Mute Bobby Phelan
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:50 PM

    @Chef Harold: the ff fg government is useless both corrupt as fook

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    Mute John Deed
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:51 PM

    I agree this could bring down the govt without doubt. Another fine mess the girls have got us into.

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    Mute James Doyle
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:18 PM

    @Bobby Phelan: Who elected them just a year ago? Was it the fairyies? The electorate of this sad little Republic have known for decades the track record of the two major civil war parties. The corruption revealed at the various tribunals which has cost the citizens millions of Euro’s, and still continue’s with inquiry after inquiry. It seems the Irish electorate have a masochistic tendency, and the more the establishment political classe’s lie, break their election promises, and cover up scandal, and criminality and wreck the economy the more they vote for them. In any other jurisdiction this would not be tolerated. In the UK for eg top politician’s and members of the establishment either resign or are made resign if any wrong doing is found against them, and are jailed eg Jeremy Archer for perjury which many of our top politico’s have brazenly committed. What will it take for the Irish electorate to see through these ME FEINER’S, hopefully this scandal could be the eye opener.

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    Mute Chef Harold
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:19 PM

    The most appalling scandal is unfolding and Enda seems to think that attending a meet-and-greet in Sligo is the best way to spend his time!

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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:54 PM

    There are a couple of positions untenable here I think, why did Zappone not tell Minister for Justice when she said she told the “relevant Minister? What’s she hiding? What more deflection can we expect from the government on this serious issue? What will Fianna Fail do? I don’t know if we will get any answers to those questions.

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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:56 PM

    @Dave Murray: “Relevant government colleagues”

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    Mute Larry Kavanagh
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    Feb 10th 2017, 9:48 PM

    @Dave Murray: government is made up of ministers & a taoiseach.

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    Mute @mdmak33
    Favourite @mdmak33
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:32 PM

    Terrible smear campaign by people in offices of trust,deciding on family’s future.everyone involved should be suspended pending investigation, including politicians.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Feb 10th 2017, 7:29 PM

    Why do governments try and cover up everything. Why do they think they will get away with it. There are to many scandals. All spun, all lied about, all inquiries, all commissions, all results not published in full, or sat upon, nothing done, no one accountable.
    This minority government has to go, the Garda commissioner has to go, the top management of the Gardai has to go.
    Between the Gardai, Health, NAMA, Dennis, IW, Banks, Vulture funds, Housing, Homeless, Apple, Charities, Eviction courts, RTE, MSM not reporting, not impartial, not investigating, it’s gone to far at this stage. All establishment are to blame for this unholy mess. It’s gone way beyond time that all those responsible are held accountable.
    We need a fresh start.

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    Mute John Brennan
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:31 PM

    When O’Sullivan goes can they finally do the right thing and appoint someone from outside An Garda Siochana to be commissioner?

    16
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    Mute Chef Harold
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    Feb 10th 2017, 7:36 PM

    How Garda succession strategy needs to be changed makes me think of how the RUC was run right until the mid to late 80s, and how it changed in the 90s. The old approach of insider appointments ended with Hugh Annesley, Dublin-born and educated but who had served in the Met. He was a true new broom.  Surely it is not beyond Frances FitzGerald, or whoever replaces her, to recruit someone who is proven and could come in as Annesley did, to completely overhaul the culture and management of the Gardaí.

    Expecting an insider of 30+ years to do that seems ridiculous. An outsider starting with a clean slate is needed now. In the North, there is now a reasonably effective model for reforming an endemically corrupt police force. The long-encrusted layer of hardened siht that comprises Garda management needs to be power-hosed away and younger Gardai promoted. The organisation needs an institutional brain transplant.

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    Mute Paul Carty
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:39 PM

    Not that any involved in this travesty would know the meaning of the word but surely the only honorable thing for Zappone, O’Sullivan and McBride to do is resign?

    It seems to be the stock standard excuse of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ at the minute.

    I really do hope those involved are held accountable, that we live in a country where there are serious consequences for ruining a persons name.

    14
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    Mute Chef Harold
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    Feb 10th 2017, 7:38 PM

    Noirin’s grasping to her role is amusing and saddening simultaneously. She is an endlessly self-recharging electro-siht-magnet, a wonder of nature.

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    Mute Peter Higgins
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:57 PM

    If the minister for Justice is not considered a “relevant minister” by Zappone , who is?

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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:30 PM

    Do they really think the public believe zappone did not brief the taoiseach and tanaiste.enough of lies to the public,no confidence in any of them.now it’s over to the opposition to put forward a motion of no confidence.

    13
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    Mute Patrick James Walsh
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:47 PM

    We are in serious GUBU mode now, question is who will be the first to resign, the children“s minister or the minister for Justice, probably Dr Zappone, after that can the govt survive, dumping these two overboard ?
    FF `s John McGuinness now says Noirin has to `step aside`, Micheal Martin said at lunchtime he didn`t think so, but events are moving fast, in any event it`s only a matter of time , as all the opposition parties are calling for her to step aside.
    All of this was totally avoidable, the govt knew two years ago there was a serious problem with the garda management and structure, but they pig headedly went ahead with appointing Noirin o`Sullivan as commissioner with inevitable consequences

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    Mute Siobhan Feely
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    Feb 10th 2017, 7:04 PM

    All of the above, spot on #gubu

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    Mute John Henry
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    Feb 10th 2017, 9:14 PM

    Say what you like about the English but their politicians would have resigned by now had this scandal arisen. What a cesspit of a government we have.

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Feb 10th 2017, 7:23 PM

    Jaysus and I thought CJH was bad but even he would not stoop so low…..

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    Mute Albert Brennerman
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    Feb 10th 2017, 5:06 PM

    Surely its now the state itself , that were the hands at work all along.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:52 PM

    The Irish politicians have all been very quick to bad mouth Trump, but they’re all following his lead now with the amount of tweeting they’re doing!

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    Mute Chef Harold
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:08 PM

    All this talk of the terms of reference for the inquiry, or appearing in front of an Oireachtas Committee is ridiculous. An immediate criminal investigation is required. Tusla, Garda mgt, cabinet et all need to be held accountable for this disgusting corruption

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    Mute Jarlath Murphy
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:27 PM

    Since when does a minister get to deflect and obstifute about an issue of such import? “I informed relevant colleagues”. What a disgraceful display of arrogance, subterfuge, and thriftiness of information! The covenant between the people and government has been shredded, where will it end?

    10
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    Mute Nigel O'Neill
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    Feb 10th 2017, 7:52 PM

    I feel so sorry for Maurice McCabe and his family. Shame on our so called leaders for allowing this to happen to somebody tryinh to do the right thing. And shame on our politicians for not having even an ounce of something good in them that would stop them from all this cloke n dagger crap and instead just come out and tell us the truth and that people will be repremanded!! This is what people continually vote for!!! Scandalous they cant even pretend to be honest with us

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    Mute Uplift
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    Feb 10th 2017, 4:32 PM
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    Mute Damien Aulsberry
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:38 PM

    Make no mistake this is collusion of the highest order. Zappone is the patsy and she will fall on the sword to protect the rest. The government of the day have told a complete pack of lies on this issue. Its save the skin time. And it began long before Noirin got the job.

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    Mute Damien Aulsberry
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:55 PM

    To say it was a clerical error is criminal. Whoever copied and pasted must have had the file checked by someone further up the line. If this is not the case then it opens up a bigger can of worms that one person within that department without reference to anyone else can write what they please. But its not the case and we all know it.

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    Mute Albert Brennerman
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    Feb 10th 2017, 9:47 PM

    @Damien Aulsberry: Agree 100, but Zappone will fall on no sword that would be an admirable quality.

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    Mute Larry Kavanagh
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:00 PM

    @Damien Aulsberry: All we know is that a counsellor copied and pasted an attachment to a report that was sent to Tusla and later that same counsellor advised Tusla that it was a mistake. We don’t know if the counsellor was an employee of Tusla.

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    Mute Albert Brennerman
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:15 PM

    @Larry Kavanagh: So its

    Lemony Snicketts a Series of Unfortunate Events.

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    Mute Damien Aulsberry
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:29 PM

    Larry its a cover up and its all the way but as usual the big pension will still be paid out. Putting Party before Country to stay in power is disgusting.

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    Mute Damien Aulsberry
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:54 PM

    Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

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    Mute Anastasia
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    Feb 10th 2017, 7:14 PM

    Sick Sick of all the scandals that’s coming out where oh where has honesty gone in this country , it’s time to sack all these minister involved , we deserve better than this it’s one scandal after the other we have some great Garda working in this country so they deserve more than all this dishonest behaviour of there piers what an example to show to man and women of An Garda. Well also have a great little country being disgraced by the few

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    Mute Albert Brennerman
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    Feb 10th 2017, 7:22 PM

    Ah …………………………the Manwell defence.
    I knew Nothing.

    Even whena we talka about it for major governmenty decision whicha this wasa directly relevanty for. I knew a nothing.

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    Mute Allan O'Shea
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    Feb 10th 2017, 8:15 PM

    Your going against the grain there Albert but I laughed as I read it in Manuels voice. Quality

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    Mute John Hannon
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    Feb 10th 2017, 9:45 PM

    This country is a disgrace….political gamesmanship from all sides here. Why is this allowed to happen. Kennys head, Fitzgeralds head, zappones head and commissioner osullivans head please. Now. We deserve better than this.

    7
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    Mute Paul Lane
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:54 PM

    Its the little lies that trip you and expose the bigger picture which is a huge cover up and a major crisis which will bring down this spent and worthless government.

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    Mute @mdmak33
    Favourite @mdmak33
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:00 PM

    Why would zappone assume tusla would be part of commission enquiry?. Because she informed Francis Fitzgerald of all that was going on,that’s why.

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    Mute Chris Finn
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    Feb 10th 2017, 9:57 PM

    Enda Kenny Frances Fitzgerald noirin onsullivan zapping – vermin slime limescale
    Rodents

    They need to step down. This is really shoxking

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    Mute Mike Holmes
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    Feb 10th 2017, 9:11 PM

    Fitzgerald knew of children being taken out of Ireland illegally in 2012 when she was minister for children she also knew the guards did not respond when child abduction alerts were raised. She responded to victims that it was a matter for the minister or justice at the time Alan Shatter,now she is minister for justice and still no child abduction prevention measures in place across international borders, but whoop! whoop!let’s keep globalisation and freedom of movement of workers going. Plutocrats at their very best totally out of touch with reality. This is what neutrality gives us ,our children being bought ,sold and shipped to keep these monological fanatics reassured that they are needed or competent when they should be wheeled off to whispering meadows and taken to bingo once a week…where they can gamble with their own resources.

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    Mute Lord Scramoge
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    Feb 10th 2017, 11:09 PM

    A lot of independent TD’s were elected to the current Dail on the back of being outspoken, being passionate about doing the right thing and highlighting injustices. Some sit at the top table but seem to have been seduced by the system.

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    Mute John Henry
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    Feb 10th 2017, 9:12 PM

    Disgusting corrupt country. Shameful to call these clowns our leaders.

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    Mute John Henry
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    Feb 11th 2017, 8:20 AM

    Nobody does brass neck like the Irish. Still nobody sacked or held responsible. Golden handshakes and pensions for all.

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    Mute DPentony
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:41 PM

    Quite amusing that people were sick of political parties so they voted for independents & we ended up with the likes of Shane Ross & Zappone in government, they have been absolute superstars.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Feb 11th 2017, 8:44 PM

    Too many loose ends to make all this an accident, if those in the government don;t like you or in the Garda then they will try to make your life hell then? That is what this is telling me now?

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    Mute Tom Sullivan
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    Feb 11th 2017, 9:49 AM

    Whoever requested this at Garda Hq and whoever carried it out at Tesla should be summarily dismissed and lose their pension entitlements. I smell the “leading beyond authority” mindset of Common Purpose here.

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    Mute DPentony
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    Feb 10th 2017, 10:18 PM

    Kenny, Fitzgerald, the Garda Commissoner & Fine Gael are guilty of something? that hasn’t been proven yet but Zappone is completely innocent of any wrongdoing.

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    Mute Adrian Checketts
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    Feb 10th 2017, 11:05 PM

    So how many more people have been victim to this “copy ‘n’ paste” error?

    If this is to be believed then surely a review needs to be done of all other files.

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    Mute Madison Underwood
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    Feb 10th 2017, 6:53 PM

    Kerry Babies!

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