Courts / Westmeath / Report

Whistleblower's condition put garda reputation at stake, senior officer tells tribunal

Date
2020-01-23

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Athlone

Summary

A senior Garda officer has told the Disclosures Tribunal that a whistleblower Garda was confined to indoor duties in 2015 due to concerns about his condition potentially damaging the reputation of An Garda Síochána. Superintendent Aidan Minnock stated that the decision was made by Supt Patrick Murray and that Gda Keogh was struggling with alcohol and work-related stress at the time. Gda Keogh denies that his hands were shaking when he was informed of the decision. The tribunal is investigating whether Gda Keogh was targeted, harassed, or bullied after making a protected disclosure in 2014. Superintendent Noreen McBrien informed the tribunal that an issue with Gda Keogh's car tax had been known since October 2014, leading to the withholding of subsistence and travel payments until the matter was resolved. One of the travel expenses claims made by Gda Keogh was for a meeting with then-TD Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, who would later name Gda Keogh as a whistleblower in the Dáil in May 2014. The expense claims were eventually paid in April 2015 after the car tax issue was resolved. Gda Keogh had claimed that the delays in his expenses and the car tax issue had amounted to targeting him for being a whistleblower, which the witness denied.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Whistleblower's condition put garda reputation at stake, senior officer tells tribunal. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

May 8, 2014 Other
October 2015 Other
26 December Other
October 1, 2014 Other
July 2014 Other
2 October Other
February 2015 Other
2020-01-23 Publication

Why: By Paul Neilan A Garda whistleblower was confined to indoor duties because his condition put the reputation of An Garda Síochána at stake, a superintendent has told a tribunal. CNI source report