Former minister for justice Helen McEntee was accused of acting “without legal authority” and of “interfering directly” in a significant protected disclosure.

Labour justice spokesman Alan Kelly made the allegation in the Dáil following the RTÉ Investigates Garda whistleblower controversy.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, who held the justice portfolio for much of the period the documentary covered, insisted she had adhered to the law “at all times”.

The controversy dominated Leaders’ Questions as Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and Labour questioned McEntee, who was standing in for Tánaiste Simon Harris.

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The documentary highlighted allegations made by four current or former Garda personnel. Two who handled Garda protected disclosures became whistleblowers themselves when they raised concerns internally, claiming reforms to protect whistleblowers were undermined by senior management.

[ Garda whistleblowers are being ‘penalised and even purged’, Dáil told ]

Kelly, who has raised the issue over a number of years, claimed the Minister “usurped the role” of the Office of the Protected Disclosure Commission by redirecting to An Garda Síochána a protected disclosure made to her.

A third whistleblower, Det Supt Brian O’Reilly, head of the Garda National Technical Bureau, had responsibility for the firearms section at Garda headquarters after a fourth whistleblower, Garda armourer Luke Rochford was arrested, and in custody made allegations of irregularities related to...

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