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

It would be wrong for me, as Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, to step across the procedures put in place to deal with the range of issues he has raised. That is the reality. We have processes in place. People spent years in the House talking about having objective processes in place so that, for example, whistleblowing could be dealt with properly in various organisations where it arose. That is why we brought in protected disclosure legislation and set up GSOC for An Garda Síochána. We have those mechanisms in place.

On the particular points the Deputy raised, I am sure the House will recognise I have particular difficulties talking about the O'Neill review. It was established to look at two particular disclosures. While there has been widespread public speculation about those who made the disclosures and what they contained, I cannot comment on them. The Deputy can speculate on them but I cannot comment at present. I understand that might be frustrating for the House at this point. However, I have to be scrupulous in honouring my own legal obligations in this regard. I have the report but I cannot comment on its contents at this point. I cannot comment in any meaningful way at this point on what might or might not be included in it or in any other further inquiries. I have to be scrupulous about protecting the names of whistleblowers.

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