Overview

• Catherine Connolly defended the attempted hire as a rehabilitation case, saying the woman was a model prisoner with strong qualifications.
• She said the Garda vetting process dragged on for months with no formal outcome and the woman ultimately left to resume her PhD.
• Connolly stated she had no contact with gardaí about the hire and that no security authority told her the appointment was inappropriate.
• She said the worker was recommended by prison-visiting TDs including Éamon Ó Cuív and Clare Daly, and that access was managed through daily passes while full accreditation was pending.
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin called the decision a very serious lapse in judgment, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys said employers must wait for vetting before granting access, and Green leader Roderic O’Gorman voiced reservations given the workplace setting.