Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

Not necessarily. A garda's means of knowledge might have to be established in advance of his or her giving evidence, particularly if he or she was challenged. If a chief superintendent was asked whether he possessed any knowledge of a matter or whether he had investigated it or carried out research in respect of it, his evidence would be of no value if his answer was that he had never previously heard of the accused and was merely present to support the garda sergeant giving evidence. That is not what it is all about.

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