Justice Minister Alan Shatter and Mick Wallace were on Prime Time tonight to talk about the penalty points report and the appearance of Commissioner Martin Callinan at a Public Accounts Committee meeting earlier today.

During the chat, Mr Shatter accused Mr Wallace of having been stopped by the gardaí last May.

He said – with the authority of someone who may have actually seen a file on the subject – that Mr Wallace was on his phone while driving.

The rot is very strong in this one.

Alan Shatter: “As Deputy Wallace knows, even without…in issuing tickets, the Gardaí exercised discretion. Deputy Wallace himself was stopped with a mobile, on a mobile phone last May, by members of An Garda Síochána and he was advised by the guard who stopped him that a fixed ticket charge could issue and you would be, he could be given penalty points. But the garda apparently, as I’m advised…”

Pat Kenny: “Used his discretion.”

Shatter: “Used his discretion and warned him and told him not to do it again.”

Pat Kenny: “Mick? Mick? The guard used his discretion?”

Wallace: “I tell you what, first of all that’s news to me. Secondly, right, with regard to discretion…”

Kenny: “You don’t recall that incident?”

Wallace: “I don’t know. Listen with regard to discretion. It’s all very well to say they’re using discretions here and there but in actual fact, once the, the rule is once it goes on the system, they should go to court to deal with it. Now listen..”

Kenny: “By the way, are you not concerned that the minister should know about your private business dealing with the Gardaí?”

Wallace: “I’m not, I’m not remotely worried about what the minister knows.”

Previously: But Anything You Do Say Will Be Taken Down

Summary Of The Penalty Point Report