In its protected disclosures annual report, it was revealed that 11 of the 13 cases it received related to the Irish Prison Service, the Irish Examiner reports.

Excluded from the report are three protected disclosures that were sent directly to the Justice Minister.

These related to An Garda Síochána – two from current employees and one from an anonymous source.

Two were sent to Gsoc, which said last May it had received 24 protected disclosures from gardaí in 2018.

There were also two investigations of protected disclosures received in 2016 that were unresolved by the end of 2018.

The department said that last year it took on the services of independent external assessors under the Office of Government Procurement Framework for Protected Disclosures.

“The external assessor determines if the disclosure meets the requirements of the Protected Disclosure Act,” the report said.

“Where the requirements are met, the disclosure will be sent for an external investigation. The discloser will be informed of the findings of the assessment or the investigation process.”

As regards disclosures received before 2018, the report found that regardless of the outcome of the assessment, the process could highlight “an issue of concern or compliance” and a recommendation could be made.