Mr. Hugh Hume:

I know the Deputy is not seeking to do that. The time is determined by the circumstances we find. In many cases, we deal with issues very quickly. When the Garda Commissioner informs us, through a superintendent, that there has been death or serious harm and he believes a garda's conduct is likely to have been a factor, the Act requires that we "shall" ensure those cases are investigated. In all 59 cases, there was an investigation.

The first thing we do, in what is called a section 91 investigation, is to examine the circumstances of the case. We may get a referral from the Garda stating someone had died or been injured as a result of actions by gardaí. We may quickly find there is no criminal or disciplinary issue and we can resolve the situation within a matter of days. In one case outlined in our report, gardaí interacted with a man who was intoxicated. They decided to keep an eye on him. He went around a corner. They followed and found he had fallen and hurt himself badly. The case was referred to us. We were quickly able to establish there was no fault on the part of the gardaí – in fact, they had probably saved his life – and we were able to close that case down quickly. Such cases are at one end of the spectrum, but there is a full range and, unfortunately, some take a long time because of their gravity and the criminal allegations involved. I cannot give the Deputy a median time. Some are dealt with very quickly but, unfortunately, others take a long time.