Ms Josephine Feehily:

There was only one occasion where we came close to that point and we worked it out in a private briefing, with a lot of goodwill from the Garda side. The future may well bring us to that point again. For example, one of the pieces we are putting in next year's policing plan for particular focus is Brexit. It would be unusual if we did not, given the environment. Brexit has policing and security dimensions so we may well have to explore those boundaries in the course of our oversight of Garda preparation for Brexit next year and I am hoping that, with the same goodwill, we will manage. I do not believe there is any intention that the security would not be handled professionally. It is just that we might need some assurance that it is being done. I anticipate that that boundary issue could become more live for us next year in the context of our oversight of the Garda preparedness for Brexit.

We also have the irony that there is only one policing plan which we approve, and there is a chapter in it on security. It is another one of those funny things in the legislation that we will be recommending needs something done about it.