Wednesday 15 May 2013

Penalty points controversy

Concerning the penalty points that were restored by senior gardai to a range of people who included judges and prominent sports personalities, Pat Kenny's programme this morning was unusually one-sided, resulting in the e-mail below which was not read out.
 
Garda John Wilson, one of the two whistleblowers, has resigned from the force because his position, he said, was untenable.  After I had sent the e-mail, he later phoned the show himself to make some points that had not been highlighted by Pat.
 
Justice Minister Alan Shatter is to reveal an internal Garda report on the issue today in the Dáil with the names of those who had penalty points restored redacted. 
 
 
Pat

You didn't do a fair interview on the penalty points issue. 

You didn't personally make the point that it is just wrong for the Gardai to investigate themselves

You didn't express any concern that a whistleblower Garda has been hounded out of his job

It was one against three. 

You allowed - even encouraged - Fionan Sheahan and the retired superintendent to deflect the conversation away from the alleged wrongdoing to the argumentum ad hominem fallacy about two TDs who have raised the issue.

In all, a shoddy and shameful interview

Justin Morahan

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