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Protected Disclosures

Under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, workers of the Garda Síochána, including Garda members, may confidentially disclose allegations of wrongdoings, within the Garda Síochána, either to their employer (An Garda Síochána Policy for the making of Protected Disclosures describes the procedure for this) or to the Police Ombudsman, as a prescribed person under section 7 of that Act.

People wishing to make a protected disclosure can do so by:

  • writing to the Fiosrú offices at 150 Upper Abbey Street, Dublin 1, marking your letter ‘Confidential’
  • emailing disclosures@fiosru.ie (this mailbox is only accessible by members of Fiosrú involved in handling disclosures)
  • phoning (01) 871 6727 during office hours and asking to speak to a member of the Police Ombudsman's office about a confidential matter.

Every disclosure is dealt with by a dedicated unit in the first instance, in complete confidentiality. Following the completion of an assessment, disclosures are then submitted to the Police Ombudsman for their consideration.

The process for investigating the matters you have brought to the Police Ombudsman's attention will be explained to you and you will be able to decide, based on that explanation, if you are happy to continue with the process.

If it is determined that your disclosure meets the criteria set out in the 2014 Act, and if the Police Ombudsman considers it is in the public interest, an investigation will be commenced.

Section 5 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 describes what counts as "relevant information" and can be subject of a protected disclosure. It also lists the matters that are "relevant wrongdoings for the purposes of this Act". Please read this before making a disclosure. We have copied the relevant parts below:

(2) For the purposes of this Act information is “relevant information” if—
(a) in the reasonable belief of the worker, it tends to show one or more relevant wrongdoings,
(b) it came to the attention of the worker in connection with the worker’s employment.

(3) The following matters are relevant wrongdoings for the purposes of this Act—
(a) that an offence has been, is being or is likely to be committed,
(b) that a person has failed, is failing or is likely to fail to comply with any legal obligation, other than one arising under the worker’s contract of employment or other contract whereby the worker undertakes to do or perform personally any work or services,
(c) that a miscarriage of justice has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur,
(d) that the health or safety of any individual has been, is being or is likely to be endangered,
(e) that the environment has been, is being or is likely to be damaged,
(f) that an unlawful or otherwise improper use of funds or resources of a public body, or of other public money, has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur,
(g) that an act or omission by or on behalf of a public body is oppressive, discriminatory or grossly negligent or constitutes gross mismanagement, or
(h) that information tending to show any matter falling within any of the preceding paragraphs has been, is being or is likely to be concealed or destroyed.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3) it is immaterial whether a relevant wrongdoing occurred, occurs or would occur in the State or elsewhere and whether the law applying to it is that of the State or that of any other country or territory.

(5) A matter is not a relevant wrongdoing if it is a matter which it is the function of the worker or the worker’s employer to detect, investigate or prosecute and does not consist of or involve an act or omission on the part of the employer.

(5A) A matter concerning interpersonal grievances exclusively affecting a reporting person, namely, grievances about interpersonal conflicts between the reporting person and another worker, or a matter concerning a complaint by a reporting person to, or about, is or her employer which concerns the worker exclusively, shall not be a relevant wrongdoing for the purposes of this Act and may be dealt with through any agreed procedures applicable to such grievances or complaint to which the reporting person has access or such other procedures, provided in accordance with any rule of law or enactment (other than this Act) to which the reporting person has access.