The Minister for Children came under pressure on Friday after it emerged that Tusla, the child and family agency, had a file containing false child abuse allegations made against garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe.
Ms Zappone, who met Sgt McCabe and his family in late January about the matter, was challenged to clarify whether or not she had informed her Cabinet colleagues about the litany of errors in the handling of allegations about Sgt McCabe when the terms of reference for a commission of investigation into his treatment were being set out.
Her spokesman issued statements on the matter on Friday, as did Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald. They can be read in full below.
Statement by spokesperson for Minister for Children Katherine Zappone issued at 3.30pm:
“Minister Zappone has met with Mrs Lorraine McCabe and Sgt Maurice McCabe. She has heard first hand of the devastation caused to them by the false allegations against Sgt Maurice McCabe.
“The Minister became aware of the circumstances when Mrs McCabe contacted the office of the Minister for Health on 18 January 2017.
“As the matter related to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Private Secretary of DCYA was requested to call Mrs McCabe.
“The private secretary did this on 18 January.
“Minister Zappone met Mrs and Sgt McCabe on Wednesday 25 January.
“Since then her office has been in regular contact with Mrs and Sgt McCabe and Tusla - which has led to the offer of a public apology.
“The Secretary General of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has held a meeting with Senior Tusla Personnel on Friday 27th January.
“Tusla has provided DCYA with a chronology and analysis of the case - which my Department gave to Mrs and Sgt McCabe.
“Tusla informed the Secretary General that they have instituted a case review to extrapolate all relevant information in order to provide a more detailed analysis.
“Minister Zappone informed relevant Government colleagues during the course of this period.
“Minister Zappone was always of the view that Tusla would form part of the investigation by the commission of inquiry.”
Statement by spokesperson for Ms Zappone issued at 8.15pm:
“Minister believed Tusla would be subject to investigations by the commission of inquiry. It would have been highly inappropriate for the Minister to brief the Cabinet on confidential, highly sensitive and personal information which one could reasonably assume was the subject of a protected disclosure, which was leading to the establishment of the commission.”
Statement by the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald:
“As was confirmed in a statement by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs this afternoon, Minister Zappone became aware in mid-January of an issue affecting Sgt McCabe which related to her department. As the statement points out Minister Zappone has taken and is taking a number of steps to deal with this matter.
“She informed me in January that she intended to meet with Sgt McCabe. She of course did not inform me about any details in relation to confidential Tusla records.
“The terms of reference of the proposed commission put before the Oireachtas by me refer specifically to a complaint of criminal misconduct against Sgt McCabe and whether this allegation was used against him.
“I have always been scrupulous to avoid any comment in the Dáil on what was at issue in the criminal complaint against Sgt McCabe, referred to in the terms of reference. Had I put into the public domain anything which indicated or implied the nature of the complaint against Sgt McCabe I would be rightly open to criticism.
“At the heart of the issues to be examined by the commission is whether senior gardaí were involved in a campaign to use information to damage Sgt McCabe.
“I agreed to take on board amendments designed to put beyond doubt that the examination of any smear campaign would not be confined.
“Just as my colleague Minister Zappone is dealing with the serious matters relating to her area of responsibility, I am proceeding to finalise the terms of reference of the commission of investigation arising from Mr Justice O’Neill’s report.
