Mr. Brian Purcell:

How that works in practice is, effectively, any information that the Garda Commissioner gives to the Secretary General for onward transmission to the Minister can relate to any aspect of his or her functions. This can happen either in the course of normal business or following a request from the Secretary General or the Minister. Section 40 of the Act provides that the role of the Secretary General is to brief the Minister on any matters of accountability relating to the Commissioner's functions.