Fake tests ‘about feeding the beast’

The mass falsification of Garda breath tests was about “feeding the beast” and submitting figures rather than about detecting or preventing drink-drivers.

A report by the Policing Authority found it “would not be unreasonable” to assume gardaí exaggerated the number of fake breath tests by an extra 400,000 or more.

“However, the precise extent of the discrepancy will probably never be known, and in any case the core issue is the fact that such a large discrepancy occurred and developed over a lengthy period before it was noticed,” states the report.