Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
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I accept that. I have seen the report that has been updated from the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and how the new processes will be put in place to ensure that this will not happen again.

This issue has come to the fore because people agitated to make an issue of it and demanded that it be made public, saying that if one knew a garda - for example, a family friend - or somebody who worked with gardaí, one could get the penalty points cancelled. It was not the case that money was exchanged or that favours were being done in return; it was simply because of the personal relationship that a liberty existed. We have identified that the system in place was weak and there was very little back-up information. The Comptroller and Auditor General has expressed his concerns about the system.

When the allegations were investigated 672 fixed charged notices were examined, but the conclusion was reached that there was no evidence of criminality or corruption. What I am trying to rule out is whether there was evidence that if one knew some gardaí one would get one's penalty points cancelled or that there was a lax attitude or a disregard for the process.