Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am in regular contact with the Garda Commissioner. The issues to which the Deputy referred are, as operational ones, exclusively the prerogative of the Commissioner. My Department's most up-to-date figures for protected disclosures from the Garda made under the Act since its introduction are as follows: 16 to the Garda Commissioner up to last December; 25 to GSOC up to December 2017; and 24 to the office of the Minister for Justice and Equality to date. It may be possible that the same individual has made a number of protected disclosures to more than one of the possible recipients under the Act and there is some overlap in that regard, but I am keen to ensure that the protocols, practice and procedure are working properly so that any complaint or grievance is adequately addressed. That is also the position of the Garda Commissioner. Deputy Wallace has raised these issues before. I assure him that the Garda Síochána, at every level from Commissioner down, has consistently and without exception encouraged all staff, sworn and unsworn, to disclose all and any wrongdoing. There are practices and procedures under the Act that allow for due process to be undertaken.

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