Back in 1995, An Garda Síochána purchased a new recording system for Divisional Stations to record 999 calls.

In the process, the senior Garda who approved the new system, "failed to understand" that he was, in fact, approving the recording of the main landline number for each Divisional Station.

And so, it came to pass that thousands of phone calls were recorded all over the country from 1995 to 2013.

That's according to the Fennelly Commission Report on the taping of phone calls at garda stations, which was released yesterday. It found there was no “systematic recording” of non-999 calls and, most strikingly, that there was an "almost total ignorance at the highest levels of the force” about the recordings.

But how could senior Gardaí remain totally unaware of the recordings from 1995 to 2013?

That was the question raised by Cormac O'hEadhra on The Late Debate last night.

In particular, he looked at one aspect of the report, the 'Holness case' from 2011, in which it emerged during a court case that non-999 phone calls were being recorded at Waterford Garda Station.

The recordings, which were to be used as evidence in the case, were considered inadmissible.

The case was referred to then-Commissioner Martin Callinan, although no mention was made that the recorded calls were non-999. Callinan referred the matter to then-Assistant Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan, and asked for reports on the legal implications of the ruling.

The reports came back to O'Sullivan indicating that non-999 calls were being recorded in Waterford. But, as the report says, either she and other senior gardaí "did not read through the correspondence….or because their attention was focused on other aspects".

"They remained of the belief that only 999 calls were being recorded in Garda stations."

So the calls were recorded for a further two years until October 2013, when Commissioner Martin Callinan was informed. He immediately ordered a stop to any further non-999 calls being recorded.

Joining Cormac on the panel were Former Labour Party Leader Pat Rabbitte, Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes, Sinn Féin TD Eoin O'Broin, Economist Cormac Lucey and Irish Independent Columnist Colette Browne.

To listen back to The Late Debate, click here.