Monday 24 March 2014 14.24 Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte have reiterated the Labour Party stance that it would be helpful if Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan withdrew his remarks on the garda whistleblowers.
During a Public Accounts Committee hearing in January, the commissioner said that on a personal level he found the actions of the whistleblowers "disgusting".
Sergeant Maurice McCabe and retired garda John Wilson were responsible for bringing the penalty points issue into the public domain.
Mr Gilmore also said Minister for Justice Alan Shatter had handled the issue well.
However, he said it would be helpful if he withdrew his remarks that Sgt McCabe had not cooperated with the internal garda inquiry into penalty points.
Mr Gilmore's comments come after Taoiseach Enda Kenny on Friday called on ministers to keep their views on the penalty points issue for Cabinet and not to "air them in public".
The Tánaiste said he thinks it is always preferable that issues are discussed in Cabinet, but said answers are expected when issues are in the public domain.
He said public office holders and senior public servants from time-to-time say things and use phrases that are unfortunate. It is always better that those are cleared up as soon as possible, he said.
Minister Rabbitte said there were many positive aspects to the controversy.
There is going to be amending legislation to improve garda oversight and to give additional powers to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, he said.
Mr Rabbitte would not be drawn on whether the garda commissioner should apologise to the whistleblowers.
He said he believes Commissioner Callinan will recognise that the public mind is settled on the issue of his remarks about whistleblowers.
The minister said he thinks the commissioner will not want to ignore it.
The whistleblower issue is expected to remain at the forefront of political debate this week, with the Cabinet to discuss the issue tomorrow.
Reilly to make views public after Cabinet meeting
Minister for Health James Reilly this morning said he supports the Taoiseach's call for ministers not to air their views on the topic in public.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Reilly said he would make his views known to his colleagues at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting and would make his opinions public afterwards.
He said he believes that whistleblowers are very important and need to be encouraged.
This morning, Commissioner Callinan reiterated the points made in his statement last week in which he said that his use of the term earlier this year was not in reference to the character of either Sgt McCabe or Mr Wilson.
He said it referred to the manner in which personal and sensitive data was inappropriately appearing in the public domain without regard to due process and fair procedures.
Elsewhere, the General Secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has said he cannot speak for the commissioner in relation to comments he made about whistleblowers.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, John Redmond said he was not comfortable with the words used by Mr Callinan when he appeared before the PAC, but he said Mr Callinan had appeared before a long sitting of the committee.
Mr Redmond said there had been a lot of political discussion on the matter and that he would put far more store on the matter if the two garda whistleblowers were calling for an apology.
He also said he has concerns about the whistleblowing legislation and protocols in place which allow people with genuine concerns to come forward.
He said the AGSI is hoping its concerns will be corrected very soon.
But he added that all levels should not be afraid to come forward if they have areas of concern.
"Once they are well-founded areas of concern they have nothing to worry about," he added.
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