Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I feel like the parent who finds the child with the biscuit jar, chocolate all over his mouth, sitting there saying, "It wasn't me." It is very difficult for us to believe any of the information the witnesses have given us. They have said that in their attempt to clear up incorrect data, they found out that there were one million breath tests carried out, despite the fact that they had previously said two million had been carried out. In the same breath they expect us to believe, and have stated repeatedly, that there were 400,000 checkpoints carried out during that time.

I put the question to the assistant commissioner, how in God's name could that be possible? That would mean, in effect, that every checkpoint tested approximately two and half people, when the witnesses know that the guideline is that a minimum of five should be carried out to make it worthwhile even to set up the checkpoint in the first place. Is it not more credible that, instead of having carried out 400,000 checkpoints, in actual fact it was probably the case that there were only 200,000 checkpoints carried out?

If that is the case, as the figures seem to indicate, is it not the case that our entire road safety policy and everything that everybody who uses the roads believes the Garda is doing has been turned on its head?