Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Having looked at the file, one then must find out how it happened. We set up in recent legislation a Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission to ensure that there was an independent assessment of such matters and to ensure public confidence that they were being looked at in a proper and appropriate way.

There is no difference between myself and the Deputy on the matter. Obviously, we want to get to the bottom of this quickly and ascertain what lessons are to be learned for the future and what policy or, indeed, legislative changes arise out of it so we can proceed to close off any gaps in information that may have arisen in this case which enabled this person to get a licence. People feel, given his convictions, that many questions certainly should have been raised before he got it.

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