Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan contacted journalists to make allegations of “sexual crimes” against Garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe, it has been claimed.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin said he was contacted by a journalist who told him “he had direct knowledge of calls made by the Garda Commissioner to journalists during 2013 and 2014 in the course of which the commissioner made very serious allegations of sexual crimes having been committed by Garda Maurice McCabe”.

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl intervened and warned him against making such serious allegations in the House.

Mr Howlin said: “I don’t know whether the charges against the Commissioner are true or not.”

Mr O Fearghail told him the charges he was making were “extremely, extremely dangerous” but he said the Labour leader had “just related a ‘dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi’ ( a woman told me that another woman told her) story referencing clearly the Garda Commissioner. I do not think such a statement is appropriate.”

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Unacceptable

Mr Howlin said TDs had not been issued with Mr Justice Iarflaith O’Neill’s report even in redacted form, despite the fact Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald received the report two months ago. He said they had not been consulted about the terms of reference for the commission and this was unacceptable.

Mr Howlin said previously when he raised serious issues of a whistleblower he had gone directly to the minister for justice. He said the issue had ended up in the Supreme Court, where he was told he should have raised the issue directly in the Dáil.

Mr Howlin said it was troubling that the Garda Commissioner remained on active duty and he could not think of another walk of life where this happened.

He called on the commissioner to stand aside for the duration of the inquiry.

Taoiseach End Kenny said a Commission of Investigation was being established and there had been no finding of wrongdoing against the Garda Commissioner and she was entitled to their confidence.

Mr Howlin added that the journalist who contacted him was prepared to give evidence to the commisson of inquiry.