Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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245. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a report into the circumstances surrounding the transfer of a garda to County Donegal following the arrest of an employee of the Department of the Taoiseach will be commissioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2783/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of media reports concerning the purported transfer of a Garda as referred to in the Deputy's question. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no role in the matter. It is, correctly, a matter entirely for the Garda Commissioner.

The Deputy may be aware that I had previously referred aspects of the events to which the Deputy refers to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission for investigation. GSOC is a statutorily independent body and it is not open to me to interfere, intervene or comment on matters before that body. I will, however, arrange to have the media reports brought to GSOC’s attention for their consideration of whether it is relevant to their investigation.