Friday, November 24 2017 www.irishexaminer.com No. 60,767 €2.00 £1 COLLATERAL DAMAGE ■ Government back from the brink as snap December election averted — but FG parliamentary party told to prepare for a vote in mid--January Charlie Flanagan: Under fire Frances Fitzgerald: Embattled Leo Varadkar: Distracted Noirin O’Sullivan: Retired Alan Shatter: Resigned Enda Kenny: Tarnished Maurice McCabe: Whistleblower’s allegations have engulfed the Government Brian Purcell: Resigned Martin Callinan: Retired Elaine Loughlin, for 10pm last night to rally M r Va r a d k a r to ld mi n- Flanagan also became em- Fitzgerald refuse to quit. Daniel McConnell, support for Ms Fitzgerald. isters he did not want a gen- broiled in the latest scandal The Independent Alliance The Taoiseach told his TDs eral election but would not when it was revealed that he last night threw its support Juno McEnroe, and and Senators to prepare for allowed the Tánaiste to be was told of the email a full behind the Tánaiste, with a Fiachra Ó Cionnaith an election in mid-January. thrown under a bus. week before the Taoiseach senior minister saying “if The country is facing a snap One minister suggested it “We will not allow Sinn was informed. there is an election, so be it”. general election in January could take place on Friday, Féin and Fianna Fáil dictate Despite having knowledge In the Dáil, the Tánaiste after Taoiseach Leo Varad- January 12. who stays or who goes in our of the email, Mr Flanagan sat made a last-ditch, passionate kar refused to sack his Tá- F i a n n a Fá il le ad er Mi - party. If it causes an election, at the side of the Taoiseach attempt to exonerate herself, naiste, Frances Fitzgerald, cheál Martin has called an we will be ready,” one min- a s he ga ve in co rr ec t in - strongly denying claims that over the Maurice McCabe emergency meeting of his ister told the Irish Examiner. formation under questioning s h e tr ie d to su pp re s s th e email saga. front bench for 9.30am today Fine Gael sought to heap in the Dáil on November 14, email which detailed a legal It came after Fianna Fáil t o di sc us s th e fu ll -b lo wn the blame for risking an elec- claiming the Department of s t r a t e g y to di sc re di t Sg t decided to table a motion of political crisis. tion at the door of Fianna Justice had “not been able to McCabe. no confidence in her, effec- Several ministers, speak- Fáil, who were accused of find any record of being in- Sinn Féin decided to put tively ending the confidence ing to the Irish Examiner, b e i n g “e nt ir e l y ir re s p o n - formed before the fact of the down a motion of no confi- and supply deal, which has said an election earlier than sible”. legal strategy the Commis- d e n c e af te r th ei r de pu ty underpinned the minority that would cause major com- “It is Fianna Fáil’s deci- sioner was going to pursue”. leader, Mary Lou McDonald, Government for 18 months. plications as it would see Mr sion as to whether there is an Mr Flanagan said he was said: “She fa iled Maurice Just four months into Mr Varadkar attending a Brexit election,” Housing Minister told of the email “in passing” McCabe and it is now abun- Va r a d k a r ’ s pr em ie rs hi p, summit in Brussels in mid- Eoghan Murphy said. “To during a telephone conver- dantly clear that it is time for Fianna Fáil called for Ms December as a “lame duck” have an election now would sation with the secretar y the Tánaiste to go.” F i t z g e r a l d ’ s re si gn at io n Taoiseach and prevent the be entirely ir responsible. general of the department M r Ma rt in sp ok e wi th after inaccurate information passage of the finance bill. The confidence and supply is Noel Waters on November Mr Varadkar for a second led the Taoiseach to inadver- At an earlier meeting of a deal between us and Fian- 13, who told the minister he time last night in 24 hours, tently mislead the Dail on F i n e Ga el mi ni st er s, Mr na Fáil. If they do not vote wa s re ti ri ng du ri ng th at reiterating that Ms Fitzger- several occasions. Varadkar told his colleagues confidence in the Tánaiste, same discussion. ald must go. Despite sugges- Mr Varadkar was greeted he would not be sacking Ms then they are breaching the F i a n n a Fá i l ’s ju s t ic e t i o n s of a co mp ro m i se , with “resounding applause” Fitzgerald, did not expect her agreement and we can’t have spokesman Jim O’Callaghan both sides refused to back at a meeting of the Fine Gael to resign and did not want a Government.” said the par ty is ready to down. parliamentary party called her to resign. Justice Minister Charlie fight an election should Ms News: 8 ‘Clear injustice’ by denying Laundry survivors redress Inside Conall Ó Fátharta women access to redress. The investig ation found s c h e m e wo u l d “ i nv ol ve News The personal testimony of s o m e wo m e n ha d be en double payments, as persons Magdalene Laundry surviv- survivors was only consider- d en ie d re dr es s du e to an in industrial schools have Louise James has paid ors have suf fered a “clear ed “as a last resort”; extremely narrow interpre- had a separate compensation an emotional tribute to injustice” by being wrongly ■ Some vulnerable surviv- tation of the scheme which scheme” and “would involve d e n i e d ac ce ss to co mp en - ors who lack capacity have meant that only women who a very significant increase in her late partner, Sean sa ti on , ac co rd in g to th e yet to receive any payments we r e re co rd ed as ha vi ng the number of potential ap- McGrotty, saying that ombudsman. and were “ef fectively for- been directly admitted to one p l i c a n t s wa y be yo nd th e he lived and died for his A scathing report by Peter gotten” by the department; of the 12 listed institutions number envi sag ed by the family. Page 2 Tyndall, whose office spent ■ The fa ilings in how the were granted redress. G o v e r n m e n t w h en t h e almost a year investigating depar tment administered T h i s re su lt ed in so me scheme was approved”. World possible maladministration the scheme has served to re- w om en an d yo un g gi r l s The ombudsman has rec- of the scheme by the depart- inforce the feelings of “mar- who worked in the laundries, ommended the department Argentina’s navy has said ment, found: ginalisation and deep hurt” b u t ha d be en ad m i t t ed reconsider all applications — that a sound heard during ■ The department used an of some survivors instead of t hr o u g h tr ai ni ng ce nt re s w i t h a vi ew to ac ce pt in g overly narrow interpretation contributing towards heal- o r in du st ri al sc ho ol s at - t h e m — wh er e th er e is the search for a missing of the scheme to deny women ing and reconciliation. ta ch ed to th e la un dr ie s, evidence a woman worked in submarine carrying 44 access to redress; M r Ty nd al l sa id th at , being denied access to the re- one of the 12 listed institu- crew members came from ■ Th e d e pa r t m e nt wa s from the start of the investi- dress scheme. t i o n s bu t wa s of fi ci al ly an explosion. Page 11 overly reliant on evidence by gation, his office found “el- M r Ty nd a l l s a id th e r e c o r d e d as ha vi ng be en religious groups “to the ex- ements of injustice creeping department has refused to “ a d m i t t e d to ” a tr ai ni ng Life/Style clusion of other evidence” into the way the scheme was move away from this narrow centre or industrial school when wrongly refusing some administered”. interpretation and this was located in the same building, We can help our children “difficult to account for”. He attached to or located on the to engage in the true said the women had “waited grounds of a laundry. long enough for justice”. Justice Minister Charlie meaning of Christmas 4 7 IRISH EXAMINER In its response, the secre- Flanag an said his depar t- by helping others and tary general of the depart- ment would give “full and focusing on presence, 24.11.17 ment disagreed with this as- careful consideration” to all not presents.