Comment: Shatter didn’t act quickly enough in penalty points row

Alan Shatter prides himself on being a reforming minister who’s not afraid to take on vested interests and to act quickly to sort things out.

But the justice minister’s failure to deal with the penalty points issue promptly and decisively in the first place has resulted in a long, drawn-out controversy which has dented the reputation of both the Garda and the Dáil’s most important committee, the PAC.

Mr Shatter announced last night he would refer the issue to the Garda Ombudsman Commission so the matter is “put to bed” for once and for all.