Garda liaison tells tribunal he never saw notification with false McCabe allegation

A garda sergeant assigned as liaison officer with Tusla told the Charleton tribunal he never received a 2014 notification containing a false allegation of sexual abuse against garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe. Sergeant Tony Byrne, stationed at Bailieboro in County Cavan since February 2010, said he first became aware of the May 2014 notification when tribunal proceedings commenced. The file had been opened when a woman sought counselling in 2013 regarding a previously reported allegation investigated by gardaí in 2006, which the Director of Public Prosecutions declined to prosecute the following year. The tribunal is examining claims that sexual abuse allegations were deployed to damage Sergeant McCabe's reputation. Sergeant Byrne described it as unusual that he had not seen the notification or a subsequent June 2014 report correcting the false allegation. He also recalled feeling uncomfortable when questioned about Sergeant McCabe by a Tusla social worker during a 2015 liaison meeting, stating he was uncertain what the conversation concerned.