Courts / Ireland / Report

Tusla not involved in "cover-up", executive tells Tribunal

Summary

In a hearing before the Charleton tribunal, Jim Gibson, Tusla's chief operations officer, denied that the agency had covered up a false allegation of sexual abuse against Garda whistle‑blower Sergeant Maurice McCabe. Gibson said Tusla had acknowledged serious case‑management mistakes in January, but insisted there was no evidence of improper Garda meddling. He explained that a 2006 allegation by a woman (Ms D) that McCabe had sexually assaulted her in 1998 was investigated and found not to constitute an offence. A Tusla file on McCabe was later opened after Ms D sought counselling in 2013, when unrelated allegations were mistakenly added. Gibson characterised the situation as failures in governance and oversight, not a deliberate cover‑up, and said he was unaware of any Garda interference. He expressed disappointment that the case had not been escalated, noting that the Tusla area manager had chosen not to raise it with the national office.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Tusla not involved in "cover-up", executive tells Tribunal. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• 2017-07-24 Publication

Topics

Sexual Offences Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report