Irish state broadcaster RTÉ has temporarily removed its latest RTÉ Investigates documentary focusing on An Garda Síochána whistleblowers from its online streaming service, RTÉ Player, following a formal request from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The investigative documentary, titled 'RTÉ Investigates: The Gardaí – Full Disclosure', was broadcast on RTÉ One on Wednesday evening. The program featured testimonies from four current and former members of the police service, including two former figures in the Garda Protected Disclosures Unit who alleged that internal whistleblowing protection systems were routinely undermined by senior management decisions.

Among those interviewed in the documentary were Donal Corcoran, former head of the Protected Disclosures Unit, and Rose Sweeney, a former senior civilian manager. Both individuals alleged that they experienced professional marginalisation and pushback after attempting to process protected disclosures submitted by rank-and-file officers, prompting both to subsequently submit protected disclosures of their own.

The broadcast also highlighted concerns raised by Detective Superintendent Brian O'Reilly regarding safety defects in standard-issue leather holsters supplied to more than 1,500 armed gardaí. The program linked the holster defects to an accidental firearm discharge that injured an officer and to the fatal disarming of another officer. Furthermore, the documentary featured allegations concerning chaotic and hazardous storage conditions for firearms and explosive materials at Garda Headquarters.

Responding to the broadcast, An Garda Síochána stated that many of the allegations covered events dating back several years or involved matters subject to legal restrictions and ongoing protected disclosure procedures. Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1, Deputy Garda Commissioner Paul Cleary defended the force's disclosure processes, asserting that internal complaints are subjected to rigorous and independent examination. Meanwhile, civil liberties groups, including the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, have called for a public inquiry into the issues raised by the documentary.