Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The last response sets the tone for some of this meeting. Mr. Nugent is making a great deal of play out of the word "report". He has confirmed that he examined emails and stated that his previous response was in the context of a report, in that he was not asked about emails, but about a report, when the intent of the question was clear. Mr. Nugent was, at the least, economical with the answer.

I wish to echo the points that the Chairman made at the outset. I apologise, though, as I will not be as polite as him. The absence of the acting Commissioner and deputy commissioner has been noted by the committee. I do not know when the acting Commissioner decided to go abroad. Had it been organised for some time, I do not know why that could not have been communicated to the committee secretariat then. I do not know if it is traditional for deputy commissioners to attend the type of ceremony that is supposedly under way this morning in Templemore. It is an early time for a ceremony.

Nonetheless, I assume that Mr. Nugent is saying that deputy commissioners always go and that Mr. Twomey was in the book for that. There are other deputy commissioners and I do not know why they are not present either, but this will not happen again. There is no point in us listening to an opening statement from the acting Commissioner when information it contains is subsequently challenged by evidence given to the committee and he does not appear to answer questions on it. That makes our job difficult and it will not happen again. The next time a meeting is organised, we will attend at any time of the day or night.

Regarding homicides, is it correct that Mr. Nugent told Deputy O'Callaghan that he and the acting Commissioner were concerned at the evidence given to the committee by the two analysts?