Colm Rooney apologises over garda inquiry circular

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Retired Chief Supt Colm Rooney apologised over a circular in a statement to the Charleton Tribunal. The proceedings were reported on 2 February 2018.

The 2011 circular said an inquiry into alleged criminality and systemic failures in Baileboro Garda district had vindicated local gardaí and found no systemic failures or evidence substantiating alleged procedural breaches.

Mr Rooney said the congratulatory views were inappropriate and that his vindication of the district’s standards was not warranted in light of findings by the O’Higgins Commission and the Guerin review. On 2 February 2018, he told the tribunal that the views were not a criticism of Sgt Maurice McCabe.

He said he had believed what Assistant Commissioner Derek Byrne told him about the investigation’s outcome when he sent the circular.