Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission was established under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. As members are aware, the main function of the commission is to investigate complaints concerning Garda conduct and incidents where it appears that Garda conduct may have resulted in death or serious harm to a person. The commission can, on its own initiative, also investigate matters relating to Garda conduct, even if a complaint has not been received.

The commission operates under the aegis of the Department for Justice and is funded from the justice Vote. The commission prepares accruals-based annual financial statements. The commission’s income in 2022 totalled €13.4 million, which was up significantly from the €11.8 million in the previous year. Expenditure in 2022 amounted to €13.5 million, and 73% of this expenditure was incurred in relation to staff costs. The commission had 160 employees at the end of 2022, which was an increase of 28% on the previous year. I issued a clear audit opinion on the 2022 financial statements.