Tribunal hears superintendent did not reply to McCabe file query

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

The Disclosures Tribunal heard that Superintendent Noel Cunningham did not respond to a social worker’s letter seeking clarification about an allegation involving Sergeant Maurice McCabe. The proceedings were reported on 7 July 2017.

Keara McGlone, a duty team leader with Tusla, said the initial telephone referral from Laura Brophy of Rian Counselling contained the correct details of an allegation made by Ms D. The report said Ms Brophy’s written report, sent on 12 August, incorrectly inflated the severity of the allegation.

Ms McGlone said the verbal referral was consistent with an earlier allegation from 2006, but she wanted to be certain. In a letter dated 15 August 2013, she asked Supt Cunningham, who had investigated the earlier allegation, for a meeting. She said she wanted clarification and received no reply; a response would have avoided further Garda contact.

Mícheál O'Higgins, senior counsel for the Garda Commissioner, said Supt Cunningham saw the letter after returning from leave in September but did not respond. He said the incorrect details were already on the McCabe file, with consequences still to come.

The tribunal also heard that social worker Laura Connolly reviewed the file on 30 April 2014 and sent an incorrect notification to gardaí. She said she understood that retrospective allegations had to be reported, even though this one had already been investigated. The notification combined the 2006 allegation with the more serious allegation incorrectly introduced by Rian Counselling.

Tribunal chairman Mr Justice Peter Charleton said he could not understand how the descriptions were put together. Ms Connolly said she had relied on the incorrect written report and overlooked a different name in its body. The report said she would return for cross-examination.