Kenny and Martin clash over Fennelly during leaders’ questions

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he found it "absolutely incredible" that he had not been informed about a letter from former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan about the taping of phone calls at Garda stations.

Had he and then minister for justice Alan Shatter been told about the letter, there would have been no need for a meeting between the then secretary general of the Department of Justice and Mr Callinan at his home, he said.

The Taoiseach was responding to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin in a late night leaders’ questions session about the interim report of the Fennelly commission.

Mr Martin had asked the Taoiseach if he agreed with the testimony of former tánaiste Eamon Gilmore to the commission. He said Mr Gilmore was very clear in his evidence that if the Taoiseach were asked in the House if he had confidence in the Garda commissioner he would not be able to say he had.

Mr Martin said there was “disquieting contradictory evidence” and that Mr Kenny’s evidence was “significantly at variance with the evidence of four very serious personnel involved in this scenario”, including Mr Gilmore and the former secretary general of the Department of Justice Brian Purcell.

But the Taoiseach said Mr Purcell “knew he had been written to by the commissioner of the gardaí­” when he attended the meeting.

Mr Kenny said Mr Purcell “knew because it had been received 10 days before that in the Department of Justice”.

‘Absolutely incredible’

The Taoiseach said he found it “absolutely incredible – the situation” in relation to the controversy about events leading to Mr Callinan’s departure.

Earlier he said that had the letter been brought to his attention on the night of the March 24th at which the issue was discussed, “a meeting between the secretary general of the Department of Justice and Equality and the Garda commissioner would not have been necessary as the Minister would have acted on it and this letter could have been presented to the Cabinet the next day”.

The Taoiseach told Mr Martin the Commission of Investigation found a “difference of recollection of people at the meeting”.

When Mr Martin said “you’re not telling the truth”, the Taoiseach said “it’s not the first time you’ve called people a liar Deputy Martin”.

The Taoiseach said the important point was “the conclusions that are drawn by commission of investigation”. He told Mr Martin that the findings “are a direct contradiction of what you said in this House that I sacked the Garda commissioner”.

During heated exchanges Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett intervened to say “it’s not a good idea having leaders’ questions at half eight at night”.