Mr. John Twomey:

My recollection is that a query was raised following the receipt of correspondence from the current Taoiseach. It was in early 2014 and raised a number of issues, primarily about checkpoints, not specifically breath test data. It raised issues in a specific part of the country, on which a report was submitted and some further inquiries were carried out. Later, coming towards the end of the year, we began to do some further work, initiated by my office in the Garda national traffic bureau. My recollection is that in March 2015 we began to look at all areas, taking in checkpoints and the equipment used.

The inquiry and the investigation was an initiative by my office in around March 2015. I am going from memory on some of those dates but that is my understanding and my recollection. That subsequently led to a more detailed investigation into the breath tests and that is the reason. That is where it started and how it started. It evolved from that period. It began in January 2014 following receipt of correspondence relating to a number of issues in a particular region in the country. Inquiries were carried out into that. Following receipt of that, there was some further work done. Coming towards the end of 2015, we received a final report on that. We then continued to carry out further inquiries and discussions. Sometime around early 2015, and I think the date was March 2015, we began to look at the mandatory alcohol testing, MAT, checkpoints, breath tests and the use of equipment. We did a broader analysis and examination in this entire area and then, as these issues arose, the breath test issue came into focus.