Mr. Mark Toland:

The most important issue we identified was the recording of the incident to start with, before it gets onto the PULSE system and is classified and put in a certain category, which we think is a major deficiency. When someone dials 999 or goes into a Garda station, they have an expectation that the information they provide is recorded properly. We found a deficiency in recording some crimes. The Deputy mentioned that 30% of crimes that went on the system were put in a category we did not agree with. If a crime is not recorded properly in the first place, or if it goes in the wrong crime category, one will not know one has a problem, one will not know the specifics of that problem and the locations, and one will not deploy resources appropriately to deal with that problem. It is a major issue. We have identified technological difficulties. Some divisions in Ireland have a computerised electronic system called computer-aided dispatch, CAD, which records this, while others are operating on paper. One of the major deficiencies we found was the IT systems. Another issue is supervision, the absence of a front-line sergeant or an inspector on duty 24/7, to ensure that when a garda goes to deal with something, it is recorded correctly at the time and the garda is not allowed to go home with a crime in their notebook. Most gardaí do not come to work thinking "I will not record a crime today", but they are busy dealing with other things, and there is no one to ensure that crime is correctly recorded before they go home. Once it is recorded, one must ensure it is in the right category and then one can appoint a suitable investigator. That is a crucial stage - the first recording and ensuring it is in the right category in the system.