David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not think the Chairman is muddying the waters at all. He is quite right to point that distinction out. The second page of the letter refers to the three disciplinary investigations, which are the next step in the process. HR proceedings come first, then the internal disciplinary mechanisms kick in. The allegations in these three cases apparently related to altering medical certificates and did not get to the point of fraud, it would seem. We asked about suspected fraud and arrests but the letter talks about the disciplinary procedures. In this case, I imagine that it should have gone through the disciplinary procedures, where any errors would have been captured, rather than going straight to an arrest and a court proceeding. There are a number of different steps in the process.