John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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934. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of protected disclosures being processed by her Department from employees of the Prison Service; the number of disclosures that have been resolved in the course of the process; the number remaining; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15308/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Protected Disclosures Act 2014 came into operation on 15 July 2014 and my Department has a formal Protected Disclosures Policy in place. The Act provides comprehensive protections for workers in both the public and private sectors against penalisation by their employers in circumstances where they have raised concerns about potential wrongdoing.

Those employed in the Irish Prison Service (IPS) may make a protected disclosure either directly to the IPS or to my Department. The Irish Prison Service has a separate Protected Disclosures Policy in place and publishes an annual report on disclosures received in line with the requirements of the Act.

The table below sets out the number of protected disclosures from employees in the Prison Service received by my Department since commencement of the Act. For completeness, information is also included from the IPS in respect of disclosures handled directly.

Eight potential protected disclosures, relating to the IPS, have been transferred to the IPS to be assessed/investigated under the IPS Protected Disclosures Policy since 2018.