Irish Independent 27th March 2014
June
2013: Garda
Ombudsman report on arrest and beating of Anthony Holness in Waterford refers
to recording of phone conversations in garda station. The report goes
unnoticed.
October: Garda management becomes aware of the extent of
the phone recordings due to another case.
November 11: Garda Commissioner consults
with Attorney General's (AG) office on recording of phone calls.
November 25: Ian Bailey, the
self-confessed suspect in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder, and his partner
Jules Thomas, are separately suing the State for wrongful arrest in the investigation.
Their legal teams are told
"unexpected electronic material" has been found in a trawl of garda
case files. The High Court gives the gardai until this week to unscramble the
data – believed to be recorded phone calls.
November 27: Garda Commissioner orders a
halt to routine recording of non-999 calls at Garda stations.
February 28, 2014:
Department of Justice informed by Chief State Solicitor's Office and gardai
about the recording of phone calls.
March 10: Garda Commissioner writes to
the Department of Justice revealing gardai were involved in widespread
recording of phone calls in and out of stations.
March 11: Commissioner Callinan meets
with officials in the Department of Justice and the AG's office on the issue of
the taped phone calls related to a civil case.
March 15: Mr Shatter flies to Mexico
for St Patrick's Day visits.
March 19 and 20:
Garda HQ sends copies of letters between it and the AG's office and the Data
Protection Commissioner on the controversial taping of phone calls to the
Department of Justice.
March 21: Mr Shatter returns from
Mexico.
March 23: Taoiseach Enda Kenny meets AG
Maire Whelan, who briefs him on taping scandal.
March 24: Mr Shatter learns of the
issue and meets Taoiseach and AG.
On Taoiseach's instructions,
Dept of Justice Secretary General Brian Purcell meets Commissioner Callinan to
inform him of Government's views.
March 25: Cabinet meeting due to be
dominated by Transport Minister Leo Varadkar's demand for Commissioner Callinan
to withdraw comments about whistleblowers.
Mr Callinan informs Department
of Justice of his retirement at 9am. Cabinet meets at 10.30pm and Mr Shatter
receives the letter sent to him on March 10 at 12.40pm.
Government decides to launch
Commission of Investigation into garda taping
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