Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the report from the chief administrative officer on the history of email usage in An Garda Síochána and the mechanisms for protecting security, Ms Feehily said in her opening statement that she believed the evidence this committee heard recently from Garda senior management corresponds with the information supplied to the authority. I would be worried about that. I will read a brief section of the transcript of my interactions with Mr. Nugent regarding the issue here. I asked Mr. Nugent about the report compiled on use of the Gmail account by the former Garda Commissioner, and whether he had given that report to the Department of Justice and Equality. He actually denied that he had produced the report. To quote him, he said:

I do not know if I did a specific report. I certainly looked at emails about 12 months ago. Can I remember if it was sent to the Department? I do not know. It is more than 12 months ago since the issue occurred, and I do not remember ... I am saying that I do not believe I did a report. I said that I had a look at emails that were there but I do not recall producing a report... I am fairly sure I did not send a report to the Department of Justice and Equality. My point was that I do not believe I produced an actual report. That was my point.

I am not so sure about his memory or how it works. I also asked whether any of the senior management present received emails from the Garda Commissioner's Gmail account in respect of Garda business and they all said "No". Given that the disclosures tribunal has established through the examination of Nóirín O'Sullivan's iPad that the former Commissioner was sending emails from her Gmail to the then Minister for Justice and Equality, which contained draft speeches to be read out in the Dáil and on RTÉ in respect of the O'Higgins commission, I find the response that no senior management member ever received emails regarding Garda business to be a bit of a joke. Does Ms Feehily believe the committee was told the truth when all the senior Garda members present, including Mr. Nugent, denied ever receiving emails from the former Garda Commissioner's Gmail account on Garda-related business?