McEntee hits back at Tóibín over claims she has failed to answer Garda Whistleblower questions

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has hit back at fellow Meath TD, Peadar Tóibín who accused her being 'minimalistic and repetitive' in answering questions about her handling of the Garda Whistleblower allegations and the handling of protected disclosures.

Aontú has tabled a vote of no confidence for 4th November which will focus on Ms McEntee's tenure as Minister for Justice between 2020 and 2025.

Ms McEntee has faced questions over how she handled protected disclosures from garda whistleblowers since the broadcast of an RTÉ Investigates programme last month.

The programme revealed that two people who handled protected disclosures made by garda whistleblowers have themselves blown the whistle, alleging that reforms introduced to protect those who speak out have been undermined by senior management.

They were among four garda whistleblowers speaking publicly for the first time in the programme.

The Dáil heard claims that Ms McEntee "usurped the role" of the Office of the Protected Disclosure Commission by referring to An Garda Síochana a protected disclosure made to her.

The Fine Gael Meath East TD rejected the claims, insisting she adhered to the law "at all times"

Deputy Toibin had accused the minister of being minimalistic and repetitive in answering questions about the isues and that her responses had not been adequate.

Speaking on the RTE Radio's This Week programme on Sunday, Minister McEntee said she had been in the Dail twice to answer questions on the matter and hit back at the Meath West TD and Aontú leader.

"Peadar Toibin did not even bother to show up in relation to this. There's been a number of accusations levelled at me. And I have clarified, a particular accusation that was made against me.

But I will not get into a back and forth on a matter that is really important here. I've been very clear and I've been very consistent. It's not repetition.

"I have at all times adhered to the legislation. And yet Peadar Toibin did not turn up, was not in the chamber for this. So if he wants to use, and I would say waste opposition Dail time on this matter, that is a matter for him. But my priority is making sure that I can do my work this week."

In response, the Aontú leader said what is being asked of her by the Garda Whistleblowers is a dedicated debate with questions on why she did not adhere to the law. "What the minister is referring to is a four-minute leader's question asked by a TD. No one had prior notice of this question. It was not a pre-arranged debate.

No other TD was allowed to participate. If the minister thinks that this is an adequate response to the crisis, she misunderstands the gravity of the situation."

Minister McEntee also lashed out at the Opposition over the possible removal of the Triple Lock, which would allow Ireland have control over where it sends its peacekeepers.

The ‘Triple Lock’ describes how Ireland decides to send Defence Forces Personnel overseas to serve as part of peace keeping or peace enforcement operations. It involves UN approval, a decision by Government and a vote in the Dáil.

"On one side, people wanted, in particular Sinn Féin members, want us to be able to make our own decisions.

They want us to be able to be in charge of our own foreign policy. And yet at the same time, they are quite happy for us to continue in a situation where one of five permanent members or indeed any five permanent members of the Security Council, Russia, China, US, France or UK, they technically have a say in whether or not we can keep our peacekeeping troops on the ground. And I simply don't think that's an acceptable position for us anymore."

"We have to have a situation where we ourselves, as a sovereign country, as an independent government, can decide where we send our troops. And again, this is to push back on any suggestion that we're going to suddenly start sending our troops anywhere other than peacekeeping missions or on training missions.

"We are not changing our position of military neutrality. There is absolutely no question of that. There is absolutely no talk about that. There is no proposal of that by government.