Ms Emily Logan:

I will answer the first part of Deputy O'Donoghue's question, clarify the position and go back a little bit to the set-up of the office in 2007 as an independent institution with a resolution signed by both Houses of the Oireachtas. The three members of the commission are appointed by our Head of State, President Higgins. We are independent of the Garda.

As a Limerick woman, I am familiar with some of the issues the Deputy raises, but as a member of the commission I must explain to him that we have no remit for that. Our job is to take complaints from members of the public about the conduct of guards. Conduct means an act or omission - inaction - by gardaí. While the Deputy's concerns are completely valid, our remit does not extend to the concerns that he has expressed here today.