November 29th 2012: An interim report on the practice of gardaí terminating points, in many cases for no stated reason, is sent from Garda headquarters to Minister for Justice Alan Shatter. The matter has been brought to light by Garda whistleblowers John Wilson and Sergeant Maurice McCabe.
December 10th 2012: There are angry scenes in the Dáil and United Left Alliance TD Joan Collins is referred to the Committee on Procedures and Privileges after she names three people in whose cases penalty points were allegedly inappropriately struck out.
May 15th 2013: A report by assistant commissioner John O'Mahony into the cancelling of penalty points by gardaí is published. It finds the actions of unnamed gardaí may constitute a breach of Garda discipline rules. Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan says he is "relieved that no evidence has been found to suggest any criminality in the cancellation of fixed charge notices".
October 1st, 2013: The Comptroller and Auditor General publishes a report into the penalty points scandal. It finds there had been significant weaknesses in the system and supports the claims made by the whistleblowers.
October, 2nd 2013: Shatter criticises the whistleblowers in the Dáil, alleging they did not co-operate with the Garda investigations into their allegations gardaí had corruptly terminated penalty points. The assertion is vigorously disputed by the whistleblowers.
January 23rd, 2014: Callinan appears before the PAC. "Quite clearly here, we have two people out of a force of over 13,000 who are making extraordinary, serious allegations and there isn't a whisper anywhere else, from any other member of the Garda about this corruption, this malpractice and all of those things that are levelled against their fellow officers. Frankly I think it is quite disgusting, on a personal level I think it is quite disgusting."
February 19th, 2014: Taoiseach Enda Kenny announces Garda Confidential Recipient Oliver Connolly has been sacked due to the nature of a conversation with whistleblower Sgt McCabe. On the same day, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin says he is in possession of documents that allege a series of murders, abductions and serious assaults that were not properly investigated.
February 25th, 2014: Criminal barrister Sean Guerin is asked to review the penalty points dossier supplied by the whistleblowers. He is to decide whether a full statutory inquiry is required.
March 10th, 2014: Callinan sends a letter by courier to a senior official in the Department of Justice regarding the recording of incoming and outgoing calls at Garda stations.
March 12th, 2014: The Garda Inspectorate publishes its report into the penalty points scandal. In it, "consistent and widespread breaches of policy" are highlighted, while many of the concerns of the whistleblowers are vindicated.
March 20th, 2014: Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar calls on Callinan to withdraw his 'disgusting' comment. A number of Labour Ministers including Eamon Gilmore and Ruairí Quinn also say the Commissioner should withdraw his remarks.
March 23rd, 2014: Enda Kenny is informed about the taping of calls by Attorney General Marie Whelan.
March 24th, 2014: Department of Justice secretary general Brian Purcell is dispatched to the home of the Garda Commissioner to convey Taoiseach Enda Kenny's concerns over the recording of calls.
March 25th, 2014: A day full of drama begins with the retirement of Martin Callinan for "family reasons". Assistant commissioner Noreen O'Sullivan takes over as acting Garda Commissioner. Later in the day, the Cabinet and the leaders of the main opposition parties are informed by the Taoiseach of the widespread taping of calls into and out of Garda stations since the 1980s. There are up to 2,500 tapes involved. A commission of investigation is set up by the Government to examine the practice.
March 26th, 2014: Shatter apologises to the whistleblowers and concedes he misled the Dáil by saying they did not co-operate with Garda investigations. "It was never my intention to cause any upset and, if any upset was caused, I hope that my correcting the record of the Dáil today will put this matter to rest."
May 7th, 2014: Alan Shatter resigns from his position in Government following receipt of the report of Seán Guerin into allegations made by Garda Sergeant Maurice McCabe.
May 9th, 2014: Taoiseach Enda Kenny and new Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald promise a "root and branch analysis" of the Irish justice system after the findings of an investigation by barrister Sean Guerin into allegations of corruption and malpractice in the force are published. In his 300-page report, Mr Guerin concludes the Garda and Alan Shatter failed in their duties to properly investigate matters raised by Sgt McCabe.
April 1st, 2014: At a meeting, the Government decides to establish an independent Policing Authority alongside other associated reforms to the policing and justice system.
October 3rd, 2014: A report by the Oireachtas Justice, Equality and Defence committee outlines its vision for the proposed Garda Authority, and recommends sweeping reforms of the Garda, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) and the Garda Inspectorate.
November 11th, 2014: A report by the Garda's Inspectorate on Garda investigation of serious crime is published. It contains criticisms of the force and recommends the decentralisation of the approach to investigating major crimes.
