Protected Disclosures Annual Report

1^st January 2023 to 31^st December 2023

1. Background

Under Section 22 of the Protected Disclosures Act, 2014 each public body is required to publish an annual report setting out the number of protected disclosures received in the preceding year and the action taken (if any). This report must not result in persons making disclosures being identifiable.

With effect from 01^st January 2024 there will be a new reporting deadline of 01^st March and a requirement for an expanded report compared to previous ones.

This report follows the new reporting template and refers to matters in calendar year 2023.

2. Matters Raised

(a) 2 matters were reported to the University in this period;

(b) 0 matters were transmitted to the Commissioner under section 8 of the Act (i.e. disclosed to a Government Minister);

(c) 1 matter was transmitted by the Commissioner under section 10C(1)(b) or 10D(1)(b)(ii) to another suitable person (within the meaning of section 10C or 10D, as the case may be) (disclosed to someone other than employer, prescribed person, Minister, legal adviser);

(d) 0 matters were transmitted to the University, prescribed person or Commissioner, as the case may be, under sections 7, 10B, 10C and 10D;

(e) in respect of the reports referred to in paragraph (a), in respect of 1 matter there was a finding of no wrongdoing and the second matter was still being reviewed at year end;

(f) 1 investigation was opened by the University in relation to the reports referred to in paragraph (a);

(g) 0 investigations were opened, in the years preceding the year in respect of which the report is being made, by the University, prescribed person or Commissioner in relation to the relevant wrongdoings concerned that remain open;

(h) 1 investigation was closed by the University relating to the reports referred to in paragraph (a);

(i) The investigation concluded that there was no evidence of wrongdoing;

(j) there was no financial damage and no amounts needed to be recovered following the investigation referred to in paragraph (h).