Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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171. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Garda Ombudsman is obliged to reply to a letter which was submitted to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission by a member of the public (details supplier) by e-mail on 18 October 2013; if it is his policy to ignore the complainant, in view of the fact that the matters referred to have been the subject of several Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission investigations dating back almost six years; his views on whether justice is being denied in this instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3192/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Garda Síochána Act 2005 established the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission to receive complaints from members of the public concerning the conduct of members of the Garda Síochána. The Act stipulates that the Ombudsman Commission is independent in the exercise of its functions. I have no role in the processing of individual complaints which are referred to the Ombudsman Commission for investigation or for requests for information regarding the status of such complaints.

The person concerned was one of a group of persons who handed correspondence to my Office on 17 October 2013 where it was alleged that their complaints concerning the conduct of members of An Garda Síochána had not been properly investigated.

The examination of these cases to see whether the individuals concerned have availed of the appropriate mechanisms for the consideration of their complaints, or whether they have exhausted all available mechanisms but are simply dissatisfied with the outcome, is almost finalised. I will be responding to all the individuals concerned, including the person the subject of the Deputy's Question, in the near future.