IRELAND’S government is on the brink of collapse as the fallout from a decade long penalty-point, whistleblowing scandal threatens to end the reign of the minority Fine Gael administration.
Their future depends on whether or not Fianna Fáil abstain or join with Sinn Fein and Labour to call on the Taoiseach and all cabinet ministers to resign at a vote of no confidence on Thursday.
Though Fianna Fáil have signed up to a three year “confidence and supply” deal with Fine Gael, that has been jeopardised after accusations of lying over child sex abuse.
Back in 2008, Maurice McCabe, a desk sergeant in Bailieborough, County Cavan, told his superiors that he had discovered the widespread quashing of penalty points of prominent people by senior offices.
Those allegations were never taken seriously by police, and McCabe found himself being treated harshly by colleagues.
The sergeant felt he had little choice but to blow the whistle a little louder, sharing his concerns with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who then passed it on to his justice secretary to investigate.
Subsequent investigations have unfolded since, with McCabe and fellow whistleblower, retired sergeant John Wilson, being vindicated.
The Garda was accused of putting “loyalty above honesty” and then commissioner Martin Callinan was “retired”.
A 2014 report criticising the government’s response led to the resignation of Alan Shatter, the Irish Minister of Justice.
But just last week, it emerged Tusla, the Irish child and family agency, sent a file containing false allegations of sexual abuse against McCabe to police in 2013. Though McCabe wasn’t notified, his superiors were and the rumour was circulated among police officers, media and political circles.
Social workers at Tusla opened files for all four of McCabe’s children, each of them containing the allegation of sexual abuse.
However, the allegation was the mistake of “an administrative error”, with the counsellor responsible admitting as much.
That complaint had come from HSE, the Irish health service. On Saturday they admitted there had been “an administrative error made by a staff member” back in 2013 that had then been corrected in May 2014.
“The HSE apologises unreservedly to Mr McCabe and his family for the distress caused on foot of this error. The HSE is making arrangements to offer this apology formally to Mr McCabe as soon as possible.
“The HSE will fully co-operate with any inquiry or investigation into this matter,” the statement read.
It followed a similar statement from Tusla on the Friday.
Last year, Superintendent David Taylor, a former garda press officer, alleged that he was instructed by Callinan to discredit McCabe by spreading rumours about his professional and personal life.
The superintendent also claimed Callinan’s successor Nóirín O’Sullivan knew of the conspiracy.
Just last week Brendan Howlin, the Labour Party leader, claimed he had new evidence suggesting O’Sullivan was directly involved and had herself phoned journalists to make serious allegations of sexual crimes.
O’Sullivan denies the allegation.
What could now bring down the government is what justice minister Frances Fitzgerald knew and when she knew it.
Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan has insisted he told Fitzgerald about the Tusla file on McCabe on Wednesday evening.
Yet later on that night, Fitzgerald said she was unaware of such information, and has since said she wasn’t aware of it until RTE broadcast an exclusive news report about Tusla and McCabe.
“If we don’t get this sorted out, the government could collapse. I think it would be crazy if the government collapsed, okay,” O’Callaghan said.
The chairman of Fine Gael has suggested O’Callaghan is lying.
The Dáil will vote on Thursday.
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