Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring:

That is correct. The members will recollect that when we gave the business case last year, one of our main concerns was that we were setting up, for the confidence of the gardaí, a separate unit within GSOC.

We started with one investigator, the senior investigating officer. Late in 2018, we were finally given our sanction, and it is only as of Monday, 29 April that the investigator has been in the unit. We have not been able to control the number of people making complaints to GSOC, while we have been able to control the number of people working there only in the past six to eight months. Having achieved a full complement of staff, this is giving us the opportunity to deal with the backlog that has arisen. When people approach us with a complaint, however, we tell them there is a backlog, that we have only recently achieved a full complement of investigators, and that if they are unhappy with the fact that the investigation may take some time, they do not have to stay with us. They have another option. They stay with us despite our telling them that the investigation will take some time. We know we are trying their patience and that there is significant work to be done in the future, but we cannot stop people coming to us. My colleagues and I receive protected disclosures at the initial stage and I pick up the phone and speak to these people. I cannot tell them to go away.

We have a backlog, which we hope the current complement will deal with. If the Deputy or anyone else expects us to clear our books immediately, however, that is just not possible, as we tell the people who approach us.