Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have discussed the number of cases which were referred several times. The criteria were wide and the timeframe turned out to be quite different from what I indicated at the beginning, given the scale of the cases that were referred and the mechanism I set up. It is the first time a government has taken steps to examine a range of cases of concern to a variety of people, including Deputies. It was an unprecedented exercise which had not been previously attempted.

It provides an independent, objective and consistent approach to dealing with these complaints.

A total of 320 complaints were referred. The Deputy knows the process of the independent review mechanism so I will not go over it again. Counsel are totally independent of my Department and they determine the steps necessary to review each case. They have the facility to request my Department to seek further information from the complainant or from other bodies which they believe may hold information relevant to their considerations. Further information was provided by complainants in over 200 cases. In recent months, a huge amount of material was continuously submitted by complainants which had then to be examined through the independent review mechanism. Information was also requested through my Department at the request of the panel from the Garda Síochána and the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission in approximately 80 cases.

I have asked a judge to review the reports going out to individuals. The judge has looked quite a number of cases at this point and, in many cases, the reports have been sent out.

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