Mr. Joseph Nugent:

On behalf of an Garda Síochána I will explain that the acting Garda Commissioner, Mr. Ó Cualáin, is out of the country and, therefore, unable to attend this morning. At the same time as this meeting, we have a conferring ceremony in Templemore for students who are receiving their bachelor of arts in policing. The deputy Garda commissioner, Mr. Twomey, is attending that on behalf of the acting Garda Commissioner, so I am attending here to represent the acting Garda Commissioner. I hear what the committee is saying. It certainly was not his intention to avoid questioning here. It was literally an issue of scheduling conflicts.