GSOC protected disclosure role leads to ‘conflict of interest’

ANTOINETTE Cunningham believes GSOC’s role in hearing protected disclosures could result in a conflict of interest.

The head of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors said: ‘GSOC has people involved in protected disclosures [which] causes a difficulty for us.

‘The reason for that is GSOC investigate wrongdoing in AGS (An Garda Síochána) and that is their role and is accepted. However, they are also classed as one of the people who are a confidential recipient.

‘A lot of members feel that a body that can investigate you on one hand and receive a protected disclosure on the other, that there could be a potential conflict of interest. For instance, GSOC may be investigating me and I may not know it, but then I am supposed to trust them to make a protected disclosure.

‘I think someone independent of GSOC would strengthen protected disclosures in AGS.’

The Garda Sergeant said that the various oversight bodies with responsibility over An Garda Síochána have yet to sit in the same room together.

‘I have never sat in a room in a consultative process with GSOC, the Inspectorate, the Policing Authority and Garda management, in my eight years in this association. That is something that I think should be said.

‘You know that you have all these oversight bodies, but have they ever sat in the same room? No they haven’t. And ironically, you have a Minister, a Commissioner, GSOC headed by Justice Mary Ellen Ring, you have Josephine Feehily in the Policing Authority (pictured left to right) and myself here.

‘All of these jobs are now led by women and I think it would be an ideal time if all of the stakeholders involved got into a consultative process.

She added that the force has a ‘proud tradition’ and she hopes this can be preserved.