THE NEW Tribunal into the smearing of Garda Maurice McCabe will begin work next Monday.

The Charleton Tribunal will begin public sittings in Dublin Castle, merely 10 days after its terms of reference were passed by the Dáil and the Seanad.

The inquiry has been set up to look into allegations made by Superintendent Dave Taylor, the former head of the Garda press office.

He claims he was instructed by senior Gardaí to blacken the name of Sergeant Maurice McCabe in the media, and specifically to spread allegations of a criminal act by him.

It will also examine the circumstances of the Tusla file created against him, which carried false allegations of sex abuse, and also the origin for an RTE News broadcast from May 2016 which was critical of McCabe.

The treatment of other whistleblowers such as Garda Keith Harrison will be investigated after that of McCabe.