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Drew Harris apologises to Garda whistleblower

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has met with whistleblower Maurice McCabe to apologise. Liam McBurney/PA Wire.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has met with whistleblower Maurice McCabe to apologise. Liam McBurney/PA Wire. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has met with whistleblower Maurice McCabe to apologise. Liam McBurney/PA Wire.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has met Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe and his wife Lorraine to issue a personal apology for the trauma the family were put through during a smear campaign.

The former PSNI Deputy Chief Constable travelled to the McCabes' home in Co Cavan for the meeting with the couple which lasted just over an hour.

Mr Harris, who was appointed to the post in September, apologised to Sergeant McCabe on behalf of the force and thanked him for bringing his concerns forward.

Earlier this month a report by Justice Peter Charleton, who is chairing the Disclosures Tribunal into garda misconduct, found Mr McCabe was smeared by the former Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, and his then press officer, Superintendent David Taylor.

The Republic's Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan delivered an apology to Mr McCabe in the Dáil last week.

Mr Harris told a meeting of the Oireachtas Justice Committee yesterday that he spoke with Mr McCabe on the afternoon the report was published.

Asked by Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway if he had met the garda sergeant, Mr Harris told the meeting that he would be seeing him later in the day "as it turns out".