Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Higgins raised a number of important queries. I will slightly contradict myself. One could argue that if all anonymous complaints were being treated with the same level, and if they were all automatically being pursued, that would increase the level of anonymous complaints and there may be more vexatious complaints, on the one hand. On the other hand, and this is particularly in smaller organisations, it would provide greater protection to the persons making a complaint if the right to anonymity in that the anonymous complaint were to be automatically pursued. This is particularly the case in smaller organisations, where a person might be more easily identifiable.

I look forward to the Minister of State’s response. There are valid issues here in relation to the whole area of anonymity. There is a balance to be struck between vexatious complaints and protecting individuals who might be more easily identifiable by virtue of having to make, or by deciding to make, a public complaint, versus the protection that anonymity provides.