Justice Minister claims FG 'not hiding behind anything' by refusing to publish Maria Bailey swing case report
The Government is not "running away" from the Maria Bailey swing case report by refusing to publish its findings, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has claimed.
Mr Flanagan denied the allegations and said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is not "hiding behind" previously unknown deals to keep the report secret amid mounting calls for its findings to be made public.
Mr Varadkar is likely to make a statement this week on the conclusions of the independent report into Ms Bailey's 2015 swing case against the Dean Hotel in Dublin.
However, he said the report itself will not be made public due to confidentiality agreements with the individuals involved.
While weekend leaks said the report has found Ms Bailey overstated her injury claim, with further suggestions the TD may lose her €9,000-a-year extra payment as housing committee chair, the timeline for Mr Varadkar's statement on the report was unclear.
However, speaking to RTE Radio's Today With Sean O'Rourke programme, Mr Flanagan denied the Government is trying to hide from the issue.
"No, no. This isn't about hiding behind anything, we're talking here about due process.
"Again, as Minister for Justice, I can quote you chapter and verse about inquiries of a very sensitive nature that have been undertaken within the State, where in order to elicit an appropriate level of evidence people are given a guarantee of confidentiality."
"I understand from what the Taoiseach has said that these guarantees were given, and I think it's going to be very, very difficult now to go back to these people and say I'm sorry I'm going to release your name.
"This is not a simple matter, and I don't think it's fair or reasonable to be accusing the Taoiseach of hiding behind something or running away from something. There's a process here," Mr Flanagan said.
Asked if he expects Fine Gael to take action against Ms Bailey - a close relative of whom is understood to be seriously ill - or issue sanctions in the coming days, Mr Flanagan said: "Let's see the report, let's hear from the Taoiseach."
The findings of the Bailey swing case are expected to be discussed at this week's Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting, with a number of TDs privately raising concerns over the matter.
However, senior Fine Gael sources have stressed no one involved in the report can be named, saying the small number of participants means even a redacted version of the document risks identifying them.
