Enda Kenny rejects claim Richard Bruton obstructed tax investigation

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has rejected allegations that Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton was "part and parcel" of political obstruction over allegations that a number of former senior politicians engaged in tax evasion.

An official in Mr Bruton's department, Gerry Ryan, sent a dossier to the Public Accounts Committee alleging that a number of politicians held Ansbacher accounts. Mr Ryan claimed Mr Bruton delayed sending a witness statement to the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.

In the Dáil, Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he believed the whistleblower that his investigation was subjected to sustained political obstruction.

The alleged tax evasion was by "named individuals who are household names from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Progressive Democrats". She asked if Mr Kenny believed then minister Mary Harney shut down the investigation when information emerged around these public figures.

Ms McDonald said Mr Bruton had forwarded a copy of the witness statement to the fraud squad investigation after delay of almost two years.

She said Mr Bruton would now meet the whistleblower having previously refused. “Do you accept as he believes that your own Minister, Richard Bruton, was part and parcel of that pattern of political obstruction,” she asked.

Mr Kenny told her: “I do not believe Minister Bruton was part of a pattern of political obstruction.”

He said the evidence was that “the Minister requested that the work would proceed on the completion of the witness statement”.

Mr Bruton had briefed him on the reasons for the delay in sending the witness statement to gardaí.

“I want to see the Public Accounts Committee assess and analyse the legal advice it gets and follow on from that. “f this warrants further investigation of any of the decisions taken or not taken by the agencies of State, then so be it”.

In a dig at Sinn Féin, Mr Kenny said “it’s a radical departure where the whistleblower in this case has to be protected. It’s a very far cry from the way you people looked after whistleblowers for 35 years.”