FF calls for immediate publication of Cooke Report

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Justice Niall Collins TD has called on the Taoiseach to immediately publish the Cooke Report in the alleged bugging of the offices of the Garda Ombudsman.

Deputy Collins commented, “We now know that the Taoiseach has received the report into the GSOC bugging controversy. It is in the public interest that he does not sit on this information and publishes the report now as a matter of priority.

“The revelations about surveillance of the Garda Ombudsman’s office and the Government’s initial handling of these revelations severely knocked public confidence in our justice system. The only way this can be restored is by an examination of Justice Cooke’s findings to establish what exactly happened and what steps need to be taken now to ensure that we have a fully independent watchdog for our police force.

“The last few months have seen a litany of failures by the Government in dealing with the unprecedented series of crises An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice. The priority throughout has been the Government’s own political preservation and not the public interest. Even now, the Taoiseach still refuses to be upfront and honest about the events leading the removal of the Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan. Now that the initial report into the GSOC bugging controversy is complete, we cannot allow the Government to drag its heels on its publication.

“I am calling on the Taoiseach to ensure that this report does not sit on his desk unread and to immediately set a date for its publication.”