*Photograph: John Mangan
THE TRIAL of a Garda charged with the unauthorised disclosure of Garda PULSE personal data on 14 individuals to a co-accused charged with a drug trafficking offence will not take place until next year.
In the case, Shane Flanagan (39) of Lifford Rd, Ennis is facing fourteen separate counts of disclosing personal data on the Garda PULSE Information system to another person on dates between January 12th 2020 to September 24th 2020.
Mr Flanagan was last month sent forward for trial to Ennis Circuit Court.
The charges relate to Mr Flanagan disclosing the personal data without authorisation from the Garda PULSE system to Colm Meere (43) of Knockanean, Ennis of 14 separate individuals and only their initials are provided on the charges in order to protect their identity.
The individuals’ initials are listed as LL, FS, LMc, RN, SH, DC, WS, LG, GL, NC, KR, KD, DD and IS.
Mr Flanagan is charged under the Data Protection Act.
Mr Flanagan’s co-accused, Colm Meere is facing companion PULSE charges where he is charged with inciting Shane Flanagan to disclose personal data from the Garda PULSE Information system on the same 14 individuals on dates between January 12th to September 24th 2020. Those charges are also under the Data Protection Act.
Mr Meere is also facing a drug trafficking charge where on April 14th 2022, at Henry Garda Station, Limerick within a 161 D vehicle did possess a number of articles – a tick list, bag sealer, tin foil, scissors, baggies, mobile phone, purple folder, and a number of Dunnes Stores bags “in circumstances giving rise to a reasonable inference that these articles were in your possession for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation, facilitation or instigation of a drug trafficking offence”.
The charge is under the Criminal justice Act 2007.
In the first time for the case to come before Ennis Circuit Court, counsel for Mr Meere, Patrick Whyms BL said that allegations in the case concern “serious data breaches and inciting those breaches”.
Mr Whyms said that Mr Meere is also represented by Michael Collins SC and solicitor, Daragh Hassett in the case.
Solicitor Tara Godfrey appeared on behalf of Mr Flanagan and told Judge Francis Comerford that she was appearing as agent for Mr Flanagan’s solicitor, Dan O’Gorman.
Mr Hassett has previously told the district court that while his client, Mr Meere may be a co-accused in theory, he would be looking for a separate trial for his client and he agreed with Judge Gabbett that this could be done at the circuit court.
In the circuit court, Judge Comerford adjourned the case to December 13th to fix a date for trial in 2025.
Judge Comerford said that both accused will not be required to attend court on December 13th.
