Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

If we were not being criticised, we would not be doing the job right. I think there is an element of that too. I suspect that the former Commissioner did not receive the legal opinion in a personal capacity. I also suspect that she received it as an officeholder, namely, in her capacity as Garda Commissioner. We must be mindful that this is not exclusive to the Garda Síochána. It will arise in other scenarios. It is general advice regarding privilege but I suspect that the Garda authorities and the acting Commissioner have a right to tell us what we do not want to hear. It would be useful to receive guidance. However, I would hazard a guess that such guidance would indicate that the Garda has a right to claim privilege.

When we are tracking the issues that are outstanding, we should ensure - before we come back to do the work - that they are substantially complete in order that we might have a more meaningful engagement.