News

McDowell denies role in journalist's arrest

Thursday, 22 February 2007 23:22

Tánaiste Michael McDowell has come under sustained criticism in the Dáil over the arrest yesterday of a journalist in connection with the leak of a report into the Dean Lyons case.

Mr McDowell insisted 'on his honour' that he had not made a complaint leading to the arrest - although he conceded he had been aware that that the Secretary General of his Department was making a complaint.

He said the complaint was made with his knowledge but without any involvement by him.

Mr McDowell added that the Dáil should uphold the law, instead of criticising it.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's News At One, Fine Gael's Spokesperson on Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Jim O'Keeffe, said the Tánaiste still needs to clarify his role in the incident.

Journalist Mick McCaffrey and a Garda Sergeant were arrested yesterday by gardaí investigating a leak from the inquiry looking into the case of Mr Lyons, who was wrongfully charged with the murder of two women in Grangegorman in 1997.

Although they were released yesterday evening, the case erupted into a full-scale Dáil row this morning, with Opposition deputies demanding to know if Mr McDowell had made the complaint which led to the arrests.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the Tánaiste had been at the centre of every story this week except for the fall of the Italian government.

Labour's Pat Rabbitte pointed out that no action had been taken as a result of the Lyons inquiry, while John Gormley of the Greens said that if Watergate happened here, Woodward and Bernstein would be arrested, and claimed that there is a 'whiff of dictatorship' about the Government.