The submission received with reference to the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 in question continues to be considered in my Department. When I receive allegations (whether described as disclosures or not) which may be relevant to the functions of my Department, I must first consider what further steps (if any) may be necessary. In this regard, having taken legal advice on the matter, my Department made contact with the Chief Executive of the relevant local authority, informing him of the allegations and sought confirmation as to what steps have been taken in relation to same.
A letter of acknowledgement has been received from the Chief Executive following the Department's request. This confirmed that the matter is receiving immediate attention but advised that, given the nature and extent of the information requested, an initial estimate of the timeframe for response is a minimum of 12 weeks.
In relation to the application for compensation which is a focus of the submission, it should be noted that there are very specific statutory provisions in the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 in relation to compensation arising from penalisation suffered by an employee as a consequence of making a disclosure. As Minister, I have no statutory function under the Act in relation to awarding compensation. My Department has also issued a letter of update to the individual concerned in relation to the submission.