Mr. Joe Hackett:

Replying to the Senator on the donations issue, I made a judgement call that the figures of €2,000 and €1,000 were commensurate with the level of public concern that was raised. It was not a fine. I do not have the statutory authority to impose fines but it was a request to make a charitable donation as a reflection of the damage done and concern raised. In coming to that figure, I was very mindful of the range of fines that were being paid, albeit for statutory offences rather than breaches of guidance. For illustrative purposes, according to the latest figures from An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice, 57 fines were issued in 2020, the maximum of which was for €500. Some people may think that €2,000 was too much and some may think it was too little but it was my judgement call that this figure was commensurate and that was the reason I went down that route.