Breaking news, alan shatter,
minister for justice, garda commissioner
Many individuals and
families will be bemused by the amount of Government and Opposition time taken
up by the ‘Shatter-gate’ affair. As people struggle to meet their bills, politicians
from all walks of life continue to naval gaze at their own self-importance, in
simple terms, who gives a flying pig about Alan Shatter, when there is bread
and butter to be put on the nations tale.
Minster for Justice Alan
Shatter has insisted there is no Garda report about an incident in which he
unsuccessfully attempted to complete a breathalyser test when he was stopped at
a checkpoint four years ago.
In a statement released this
morning ahead of a Dáil debate on a Fianna Fáil motion of no confidence in Mr
Shatter, the Minister said the Department of Justice Secretary General, Brian
Purcell, had contacted the Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan to ascertain if a
report on the matter existed.
“The Commissioner has
confirmed that he caused enquiries to be made by local Garda management as to
whether or not a report of the incident was made at the time,” Mr Shatter said.
“He is informed that no such report was generated by the Garda member involved
and a further local search of the garda computer system has failed to locate
any such report.”
The issue of Mr Shatter
being stopped at the checkpoint was raised last week by Independent TD Mattie
McGrath, who said gardaí would have had no choice but to make a report because
of the nature of the incident.
Mr Shatter said he was asked
to exhale into a breathalyser and did so but failed to fully complete the task
due to being asthmatic. He said he explained this to the garda and also
explained he was on his way home from the Dáil and had consumed no alcohol and
was waved on.
On his way into Government
Buildings this morning, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Mr Shatter had his full
backing.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore also
insisted Mr Shatter has given a full account of the incident and he criticised
Fianna Fáil for bringing the motion of no confidence.
“He has issued two
statements, one of which explained what happened when he was stopped and the
second today saying that he has checked with the Garda Commissioner and there
isn’t a Garda report on it,” Mr Gilmore told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. “Frankly, I
think Fianna Fáil are dragging the bottom of the barrel for an issue to have a
Private Members Motion on,” he said.
“There are a lot more
important issues in this country that need discussion in the Dáil than whether
Alan Shatter was stopped at a checkpoint or not.”
Fianna Fáil justice
spokesman Niall Collins said the Tánaiste was missing the point in saying that
his party was “dragging the bottom of the barrel” in bringing a motion of no
confidence in the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter.
“From our point of view we
have serious concerns and we have reached a tipping point with this minister,”
he told RTÉ Morning Ireland. “I think it’s fair to say that his judgement has
been severely called into question and that is something which we cannot have
hanging over the minister for justice of the day.”
The controversy followed the
release of information by Mr Shatter about Independent TD Mick Wallace during a
television discussion about a report on the handling of penalty points by some
gardaí.
The report dismissed
allegations of widespread corruption in the Garda over the cancellation of
thousands of penalty points, but led to a superintendent and two inspectors
being disciplined after they were found to have terminated points in 661 cases.
Mr Shatter said Mr Wallace
had been stopped and cautioned while driving in Dublin city last year. Mr
Wallace at first said he had no recollection of the issue but later clarified
that he was seen using his mobile phone at traffic lights in the north inner city
when a garda vehicle pulled up alongside him. He said he acknowledged his
mistake and the gardaí involved used their discretion and drove away after
making some small talk.
Mr Wallace lodged a
complaint with the Standards in Public Office Commission about the release of
the information, which Mr Shatter said came up in a routine garda briefing on
penalty points.
Minister for Enterprise
Richard Bruton said he thought the episode was a “distraction” when more
pressing matters were causing concern for people.
Sinn Féin deputy leader
Mary-Who McDonald made clear her party would support the Fianna Fáil motion.
