Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Commissioner. It has been a long session. It is welcome that he is saying he hopes the Government will see its way to opening up recruitment. I hope the Government has an ear to this discussion. The Commissioner may want to have a spat with the Minister, seeing as he is on a roll, in respect of recruitment and the resources available to the Garda Síochána.

To return to the issue of the penalty points, I do not accept the witness's rationale or the manner in which this matter was investigated. That is not to cast an aspersion on the Assistant Commissioner. I am sure he is a very fine and professional man. However, it is hugely problematic that the matter was not investigated and reported on by an independent entity. The Commissioner disagrees with that, but I wish to put it on the record. More specifically, I will return to the issue of the whistleblowers, the two gardaí who came upon this information. The Commissioner told us earlier that this matter came to his attention in December 2012. Is that correct?