Varadkar: Some may suspect Gardaí would have been happy with tapes destroyed

The Transport Minister Leo Varadkar says the Investigation into the Garda phone recordings will work out whether or not members of the force wanted the recordings to be destroyed.

Varadkar: Some may suspect Gardaí would have been happy with tapes destroyed

The Transport Minister Leo Varadkar says the Investigation into the Garda phone recordings will work out whether or not members of the force wanted the recordings to be destroyed.

Mr Varadkar's comments come after reports suggested Ministers decided to establish a Commission of Investigation because of fears that "someone in the guards" wanted them to be erased.

However, a letter dated March 10th from former Commissioner Martin Callinan to the Department of Justice's Secretary General has now been published, which shows no evidence of that.

It says he asked Brian Purcell for advice on what he should do with the recordings.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar says the Commission of Inquiry will get to the bottom of the issue.

A member of the Oireachtas Justice Committee says his colleagues should have called on Alan Shatter's top civil servant to take questions.

The Committee last night decided to reserve its position on whether Brian Purcell should be brought in until the Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate the Garda Tapes publishes its terms of reference.

Members of the Justice Committee want the Fennelly Inquiry to include the circumstances of Mr Callinan's departure as Garda Commissioner.

Independent TD Finian McGrath says he is disappointed with Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin committee members for parking the issue for a week.

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