Mr. Tony O'Brien:

It is an important point. As the Chairman stated, a criminal law investigation is being pursued, under the leadership of a senior officer of An Garda Síochána. As a result we have been asked to pause, and have done so, three aspects of our own investigative process in order not to in any way interfere with the Garda process. The 13 members of staff to whom I referred are not suspended but are off duty. Suspension is an outcome of a disciplinary process and not something one does in anticipation.

Not wishing to prejudice those individuals in any way, it is important to say that of the 13, two hold positions of responsibility. In other words, they have managerial roles. The Deputy has cited one specific example; another individual who may or may not have been seen on the film that was broadcast has also been put off duty and also has a position of responsibility. That adds to the concerns about the nature of the culture and the inter-relationships and length of time a particular team had been together, for example, which are feeding into the overall process of engagement about what service providers might do immediately to deal with this issue in advance of the full outcome of the reviews. All of those individuals are subject to investigation both in the context of any potential criminality and in the context of breaches of duty and discipline relating to their employment. Those who are unable to adequately account for themselves will be subject to the rigours of the disciplinary process, as I am sure they will be to any action the Garda Síochána may take.