Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
1256. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of protected disclosures that have gone missing or have been compromised that have been submitted to his Department or State bodies that are responsible to his Department. [32289/26]
View answerMy Department maintains formal channels and established procedures for the submission of reports concerning wrongdoing, in strict adherence to the Protected Disclosures Act. Upon receipt, such reports are managed in compliance with both the Act and internal policy frameworks, ensuring the preservation of confidentiality and the integrity of the process.
Prior to 2022, reports submitted to the Department were administered by the Department of Education and Youth under a Memorandum of Understanding. Since that time, the Department has established dedicated internal personnel and protocols to manage these matters directly.
The Department operates with administrative oversight to safeguard the security and processing of all protected disclosures. Accordingly, all reports received through designated channels are subject to record-keeping standards to ensure they remain secure and fully accounted for throughout the process.
Upon the transmission of a report of wrongdoing to the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner, all obligations on the Minister under the Act have been discharged.
The information in respect of state bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my department. These state bodies have been provided with the question and have been advised to respond directly to the Deputy.
