Two people who handled protected disclosures made by Garda whistleblowers have themselves blown the whistle, alleging that reforms introduced to protect those who speak out have been undermined by senior management.

They are among four Garda whistleblowers speaking publicly for the first time in an RTÉ Investigates programme to be broadcast tonight at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.

The other two whistleblowers made protected disclosures to the office in recent years.

The Garda Protected Disclosures Office was established in 2017 as part of reforms introduced to protect whistleblowers following a series of policing scandals, including the treatment of whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

The two key figures connected with the Garda Protected Disclosures Office are Dr Donal Corcoran and Ms Rose Sweeney.

Dr Donal Corcoran, a serving, plain-clothes Garda for 25 years, was a permanently designated staff member in the Office up to January 2025. Ms Rose Sweeney, a serving civilian principal officer, is head of the Garda National Youth Diversion Bureau, and acted as a part-time protected disclosures manager.

Dr Corcoran, who holds qualifications in criminal justice, protected disclosures, law, ethics and mediation, and carried out the function of a facilitator of protected disclosures, ran the Office on behalf of protected disclosure managers and was regarded as its "institutional memory".

He himself made a protected disclosure in August 2024, and two months later he was told a new Office...

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