Whistleblower Maurice McCabe Says Little Has Changed for Gardai Revealing Misconduct

Maurice McCabe, a former Garda who endured a smear campaign after alleging malpractice within the force, believes the state's treatment of whistleblowers has not improved. In a recent interview, McCabe urged the government to "listen to" and "support" gardaí who have recently come forward with protected disclosures.

McCabe, who was eventually vindicated by a state tribunal, described his whistleblowing experience as "11 years of hell" and stated that the ordeal has "damaged me big time, and I’ll always be damaged by it." He expressed concern that current whistleblowers face similar difficulties, noting, "Sadly, things haven’t… changed."

His comments come amid revelations about the treatment of other Garda whistleblowers whose identities were allegedly exposed by former justice minister Helen McEntee after they made protected disclosures to her office. In one instance, a disclosure by Superintendent Brian O’Reilly concerning alleged wrongdoing by Garda management was reportedly sent to his superiors with his name attached. McEntee has maintained that she adhered to whistleblower legislation but has declined to answer questions about her handling of the disclosures in the Dáil.

McCabe stated he was "shocked" by the treatment of his fellow whistleblowers, adding, "Something has gone wrong, and I feel sorry for them because it’ll always affect them. It has always affected me, and it’s going to affect me until I die."

Several recent controversies involving Garda whistleblowers have centered on defective gun holsters. The family of Detective Garda Colm Horkan, who was fatally shot in 2020, has called for a public inquiry into faulty holsters, stating their letters to McEntee and current Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan were largely ignored. Details of the faulty holsters, which could allow a firearm to be easily taken or discharged accidentally, were first highlighted three years ago by a whistleblower. In 2019, a serving garda warned about the issue. On June 11, 2020, an officer suffered life-changing injuries when his firearm discharged accidentally while wearing a defective holster. Six days later, Detective Garda Horkan was shot and killed with his own service weapon by Stephen Silver, who was wearing a similar defective holster.

Superintendent O’Reilly later made further disclosures about the holsters, corroborating earlier allegations. O’Reilly disputes the accounts from ministers McEntee and O’Callaghan regarding how his protected disclosure was handled, calling their explanations "misleading" and "incomplete."

McCabe expressed disappointment with the current government's response to the disclosures and urged them not to repeat the mistakes of previous administrations. "I think these whistleblowers should be listened to. That’s what I’d be saying. They should be listened to…. the government should support these people," he said.

Reflecting on his own experience, McCabe recalled the tribunal chairman, Judge Peter Charleton, stating he was "100 percent right" after earlier being widely criticized. In October 2018, the Disclosures Tribunal found that then-Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan had carried out a smear campaign against McCabe. The Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland had also been critical of McCabe's treatment.

McCabe's disclosures, first revealed in 2014, alleged that gardaí had failed to investigate certain crimes. The subsequent campaign against him led to the resignations of two Garda Commissioners (Martin Callinan and Nóirín O’Sullivan) and two justice ministers (Alan Shatter and Frances Fitzgerald), and contributed to the resignation of then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny. Conversely, politicians like Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin gained prominence by publicly supporting McCabe.

McCabe stated he never intended to become a public figure and dislikes the term "whistleblower," emphasizing his desire only to perform his duties as a garda. He expressed hope that the situation for current whistleblowers will improve.

The Irish Council of Civil Liberties (ICCL) called the 2018 tribunal findings "landmark moments" meant to herald a new era in policing. The ICCL stated that for public trust and confidence in An Garda Síochána to be maintained, "these questions deserve thorough and transparent answers."

The Department of Justice said Minister O’Callaghan prioritizes supporting those who make protected disclosures, including gardaí, in line with the Protected Disclosures Act. Spokespeople for Helen McEntee did not respond to detailed queries.