Ms Nóirín O'Sullivan:

April 2017, from memory. We dealt with this matter earlier, but I welcome the opportunity to deal with it again. I wish to emphasise to the committee that, when the document was received, I had legal advices through the CAO regarding the best mechanism to deal with this process. That process is ongoing. The legal advices have been received in recent days and we now have a mechanism that we are following to do exactly what it says here.

I am conscious of the fair procedure and due process that must be afforded to all parties involved. There is a process that we have been advised to follow. However, I want to make a point regarding something that Deputy McDonald raised. Some inference may have been drawn to the effect that I was not dealing with this matter personally. As most of those present who are executives of organisations know, there is a segregation of duties in an organisation. Deputy McDonald asked whether there were different disciplinary processes, etc. There are, but an important segregation of duties is also maintained. Given that I, as Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, may have to be the arbiter or adjudicator on a matter, there must be a segregation of duties between the line managers who deal with this because the ultimate decision may be mine. For example, it may be my decision that a matter should be referred to a different forum.

Maybe I did not explain it well earlier, but I want to be clear for the purpose of the record. It was not me deflecting or delegating something that it was not appropriate to delegate. It is quite the opposite. It is appropriate, lawful and procedurally correct and proper that I would delegate that function to the line manager, where the process will take place, and the matter may end up on my desk as decision-maker regarding what needs to be done next.