The Minister for Justice has issued a second statement urging the Sunday Independent to apologise for an article claiming that the Taoiseach asked him to intervene in a family law court case.
Minister Alan Shatter also says the paper should issue a correction without delay to what he says is the "wholly inaccurate claim" made in the article.
He has also released a letter he sent to the Taoiseach in June, in which he writes that it would be "entirely improper for a member of government to intervene in any way with Land Registry Records".
However, the Taoiseach is now coming under pressure to explain why he sought the Minister's advice on the matter.
Shatter’s Response to Sunday Independent Statement in full:
The Sunday Independent today published an article stating as fact that the Taoiseach asked me to “meddle” and to "intervene" in a court case related to the marriage breakdown of one of his constituents.
That was, and remains a wholly inaccurate claim, not supported by fact or by any correspondence between the Taoiseach and myself.
I note that the Sunday Independent statement of this evening does not reassert that false claim and I deem this to be significant. It does, however, allege that the Taoiseach “made representations” to me in this matter.
This is also inaccurate. As stated on his behalf on Friday last in respect of correspondence received by him, his office forwards queries in such correspondence for the attention of the Department responsible.
As detailed in my statement earlier today, in this instance he merely requested that I “examine the points raised” in a constituents letter and furnish him with advice thereon.
In the interests of accuracy and fairness the Sunday Independent should issue an apology and correction without delay.
Finally, in their statement this evening, the Sunday Independent queries whether the substantive response furnished by me to the Taoiseach makes reference to “Court Registry Records” or “Land Registry Records”.
I have already addressed this in my earlier statement but, in the interests of transparency, I am publishing with this statement the actual letter sent by me to the Taoiseach on 7th June last.
Any reference in it which could identify the constituent concerned has been redacted.
It is possible that in response to its FOI request the Sunday Independent was furnished with an uncorrected draft response which mistakenly contained a reference to “Court Registry Records”.
If this occurred, neither it nor any other part of the correspondence provided any basis of any nature whatsoever for the false statement that the Taoiseach requested that I “meddle” and “intervene” in a court case related to the marriage breakdown of one of his constituents.
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