Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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310. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of protected disclosures received by his Department in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; if an external contractor has been engaged regarding a protected disclosure over that time period; if so, the cost of same; and the number of protected disclosures that were rejected, accepted and that remain under review for the time period in question. [13047/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The table below details the numbers of disclosures received by my Department between 1 January 2019 to date:

Each disclosure made is assessed by officials in a joint civil/military Protected Disclosures Office. Based on their initial assessment, courses of action are recommended to me. These can include the use of internal procedures where information relates to personal employment matters, the appointment of external reviewers or the transfer of information to appropriate statutory authorities who have powers of investigation. 

Of the total number received since 2019, eight were rejected in so far as that means that they were deemed not to be protected disclosures for reasons such as not disclosing relevant wrong doings, seven of them remain active. In the period in question, two of the protected disclosures were referred to external contractors. The total sum paid in this regard is €44,553.78.All disclosures made to me are acted upon. This can occur in a variety of ways such as, reports may be sought from civil or military personnel, advice may be sought from the Office of the Attorney General, Disclosers may be directed to grievance procedures or to Officer holders such as the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces who can investigate complaints made by military personnel of penalisation for making a protected disclosure.

I am fully committed to compliance with the requirements of the Protected Disclosures Act, 2014 and to the protections contained in that Act.