I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 89 together.
The table below details the numbers of disclosures received by my Department between the 1st January 2017 and the 19th March 2021.
Year
|
Number of Disclosures
|
2017
|
11
|
2018
|
4
|
2019
|
4
|
2020
|
12
|
2021
|
2
|
Total
|
33
|
Of the total number received since 2017, five were deemed not to be protected disclosures for reasons such as not disclosing relevant wrong doings, seven of them remain active and 21 of them are deemed to be closed. Three of the protected disclosures were in part or fully examined by a third party or a consultancy. As three of the disclosers are anonymous, I cannot be certain as to disclosers’ employment status at the time of making the disclosure. 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.