Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The first point I would make on the Deputy's question is one I made when publishing the report, namely, that we should not lose sight of the central fact that at its heart are the victims who were let down. That was a very key point for all of us to note. Our central focus should be on doing everything possible to make sure what is outlined in the investigations does not happen again.

There are severe constraints on what I can say about claims that have appeared in the media under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 which formed the legal basis for putting the commission in place. I have a duty to respect the law and that duty is not diminished by the fact that some media reports have appeared purporting to set out a small part of what might or might not have been said. I obviously refer to the statement by the Garda Commissioner, Ms Nóirín O'Sullivan, in which she comments on her response to the report, saying she accepts it in full. She states she has put as much information in the public domain as she can, adding that she is legally precluded, under section 11, from saying anything further. I will reiterate what she has said about Sergeant Maurice McCabe's contribution. She has said it is valued and that the service has changed for the better in response to the points raised and issues about which he complained.

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