The number of cases of alleged Garda misconduct being examined by an independent panel has increased from 282 to 305, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has said.
Ms Fitzgerald told the Dáil in September a total of 282 allegations of misconduct were being looked at. She described this as a “significant number of cases” and said it was “higher than originally estimated”.
The panel was established by the Government to independently review allegations of Garda misconduct made to the Minister for Justice, the Taoiseach, or to any other public representative. It was set up in response to the Guerin report into allegations by Garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.
A spokesman said the Department of Justice is continuing to receive correspondence, although at a much reduced volume, and that the duration of the review has had to be extended.
“It was originally intended that the review was to last some ten to twelve weeks. However, the availability of Counsel due to the operation of the Courts calendar together with the volume of complaints submitted means that this will be exceeded,” he said.
In response to a parliamentary question, Ms Fitzgerald said the review, comprising two senior and five junior counsel, was “well underway”.
She said 305 cases have now been referred to the panel and she expected recommendations to be submitted in “due course” after which “each complainant and/or public representative will be notified accordingly”.
The review of each allegation does not involve interviews or interaction with complainants but counsel can recommend that the Minister seek further information to assist in coming to an “appropriate recommendation” in any particular case.
Separately, Ms Fitzgerald has said Garda authorities have received three reports from whistleblowers since May this year.
The Protected Disclosures Act, designed to provide greater protection for whistleblowers, came into operation in July and allows gardaí to report concerns to the Garda commissioner (as their employer) or to GSOC (as a prescribed body).
The Minister said the Garda authorities received two of the whistleblower reports under the old confidential reporting of misconduct regulations and one under the new Act. She said she had no details of the numbers of disclosures that may have been made to GSOC as the prescribed body.
