MINISTER FOR Justice and Defence Alan Shatter has requested a file from the Garda on the investigations into Anglo Irish Bank and other alleged banking irregularities.
In his first day as Minister, Mr Shatter yesterday met Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan for talks.
“It’s an issue I have already raised,” Mr Shatter said when asked about the banking criminal investigations.
“I expect next week to get a report on how the investigations are proceeding in the context of the Garda and the Director of Corporate Enforcement.
“I want to be sure that the gardaí have all the resources they require to ensure the investigation can be completed in an efficient fashion, and all necessary information is available to the DPP.”
He was speaking to the media following a commissioning ceremony for new Defence Forces officers at the Curragh Camp, Co Kildare.
It was his first public engagement since being appointed to the new combined portfolios of justice and defence.
He said he was surprised to be appointed as Minister to the two portfolios but believed he had the necessary experience, having been Fine Gael spokesman on both defence and justice at different times in the past decade.
Gun and drug crime would remain priority areas during his time as Minister. He was also aware of the need for the Garda and PSNI to continue to co-operate on the threat from dissidents, which was of “increasing concern”.
He had spoken yesterday to his counterpart in the North, David Ford, and looked forward to further developing their already established relationship.
When asked whether his stance over the years of having shown more support for Israel than other politicians was at odds with his now presiding over the planned deployment of Irish troops to southern Lebanon, he said: “I’ve spoken in support of a peace process and resolution of the enormous difficulties that are ongoing between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
“I previously visited our Defence Forces in Camp Shamrock in southern Lebanon. And I am absolutely and totally supportive of our continuing to play a role in such operations.”
He said he was “blissfully unaware” of any disquiet within the ranks of the Labour Party following the allocation of Cabinet seats to members of that party.
He did not believe there would be any honeymoon period for the new Government, because “you go on honeymoon when you have space and time to celebrate”.
The Government was “absolutely committed to tackling the huge economic crisis that we’re confronted with”.
Of the 32 new officers commissioned at the Curragh Camp yesterday, seven were female.
The group included three men from Malta, who had trained with the 86th cadet class over the past 16 months and will in the weeks ahead be commissioned as officers into the Maltese armed forces on the basis of completing their training here.