The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) is to get 42 additional staff after outlining the urgent need for additional staff to the Department of Justice earlier this year.
Of the posts authorised, five are in the protected disclosures unit, 24 are in operations (investigations and casework), with the remaining 13 in administration, including human resources, ICT, data protection and finance.
Gsoc chairwoman Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring said Gsoc sees the sanction for increased personnel as “real political support for Garda oversight”.
‘Statutory remit’
“A strengthened workforce will allow Gsoc the ability to fulfil and expand its statutory remit and meet the needs of the community,” she said.
Gsoc currently has a staff of 92 and expects to begin the process of recruiting additional staff immediately. Some vacancies will be filled from specialist panels currently in place.
The cost of the new staff is to be met from Gsoc’s existing budgetary allocation for 2018 and from the increased allocation secured in Budget 2019.
Gsoc received 13 protected disclosures in the first six months of 2017, compared to 11 over the previous three years, according to a report published earlier this year. –