Mr. Brian Purcell:

Yes, I have met the Commissioner outside what would be regarded as normal hours. Then again, people such as the Garda Commissioner and myself, but particularly the Commissioner, who deals with an operational 24 hour service, probably do not work hours which might be considered to be normal working hours. The answer is yes, I would have met the Commissioner outside normal nine to five working hours. That, in itself, would not be all that unusual. The normal course of contact outside normal nine to five working hours would be by means of telephone call. I do not want mislead, in any way, the committee so what I am saying is that most of the meetings I have had with the Garda outside what would be regarded as normal working hours, I would not have considered all that unusual. That is the just the nature of the work we do and nature of the hours we both sometimes have to work. Indeed, it is not just ourselves who work them.