Overview

• Catherine Connolly reiterated she had no contact with gardaí about the hire and was never told the woman would fail security clearance.
• The woman worked in Leinster House for under six months, left of her own volition, and never received a permanent pass because vetting had no outcome.
• Éamon Ó Cuív confirmed he recommended the candidate and defended the hire as a successful case of rehabilitation.
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin called the decision a very serious lapse in judgment, while Heather Humphreys and Roderic O’Gorman raised concerns about access and employer responsibility.
• The worker had been convicted by the Special Criminal Court in 2014 for firearms offences, served almost four-and-a-half years, and was reported as a former Éirígí member, which Connolly says was no longer active in her case.