The Minister for Justice has now received reports from the Chief Executive of the Courts Service and the Garda Commissioner on the controversy over the transfer of a pub licence for Jack White's Inn in County Wicklow. The Minister has also received a letter from the President of the District court, indicating that because of the complexity of the matter and the need to interview a number of people, the minister will not have his final report in time for the government meeting tomorrow and possibly not for some time yet. Earlier today, Mr O'Donoghue told RTE that one of the options available to him would be to appoint a High Court judge to conduct a formal inquiry into the licensing affair.
The report by the Chief Executive of the Courts Service has found that court officials had expressed serious reservations about the hearing before Judge Donnchadh O'Buachalla. The President of the District Court met Judge O'Buachalla this afternoon as part of his inquiry into the controversy, while the Garda Commissioner is finalising his report. The Minister for Justice has said that it was difficult to say whether or not there would be conflicts arising from the three reports. John O'Donoghue said, however, that there was a procedure whereby it would be open to the Government to refer the matter to a High Court judge for a full formal inquiry. Asked whether Judge O'Buachalla should stand aside pending the resolution of the controversy, Mr O'Donoghue said that he could not pre-empt any of the reports on the matter or prejudge the situation.
Judge Donnacha O'Buachalla cancelled his court sittings in Arklow, Wicklow and Wexford this week to go abroad, but he subsequently had to cancel those holidays in light of the controversy over the issuing of a licence to Jack White's Inn. The judge would not elaborate this morning on his statement that the application was dealt with in open court and that the Garda had no objections. Not only has this been contradicted by the Garda's report, it also appears to be at variance with the report of the Chief Executive of the courts' service.
In that report, the court officials have expressed serious reservations about the way the licensing hearing was carried out. The report says that the officials also expressed those reservations to Judge O'Buachalla. Four court clerks, based at Arklow and Gorey courts, were interviewed by a director of the Courts service, as part of that inquiry. The Tánaiste said today that serious issues have arisen in relation to the granting of the licence. Mary Harney said that answers were needed and the quicker they were supplied the better. The President of the District Court, Peter Smithwick, has also met with Judge O'Buachalla, as part of his inquiry into the matter.
