Section 22 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 requires each public body to publish an annual report setting out the number of protected disclosures received in the preceding year and the action taken (if any).
Since the legislation was introduced in 2015 and covering the period 1 July 2014 to 31 December 2018, a total of 60 protected disclosures were submitted to my Department. All were made under Section 6 or Section 8 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. This means the disclosures were not from employees of my Department and instead related to a worker or workers employed in a public body under my Department's remit.
19 of the disclosures, when assessed, did not meet the criteria as set out under the Act.