A judicial inquiry into the suicide of a garda sergeant in Donegal has found it would have been "significantly preferable" if greater coordination had taken place to ensure information was not imparted to the media by GSOC before there had been sufficient contact with the sergeant's family.
The inquiry was initiated following the death of Sgt Michael Galvin who died in Ballyshannon Garda Station in 2015.
He was one of three gardaí being investigated by GSOC after 33-year-old Sheena Stewart died in a road crash in Donegal earlier that year.
The father-of-three was interviewed by GSOC investigators who decided the next day he had no case to answer.
He was not aware that GSOC had recommended "there should be no prosecution either of Sgt Galvin or any of the other gardaí concerned".
In its conclusions, the inquiry "notes the extreme distress which this sequence of events caused for the family, friends and colleagues of Sgt Galvin".
However, the inquiry also concluded it would not be appropriate to level specific personal criticism at any GSOC-designated officers.
The inquiry said it reached that view "not least because of the extremely charged circumstances then prevailing".
The inquiry, carried out by Mr Justice Frank Clarke, recommended that more detailed information be made available to garda members about the way in which GSOC investigations are carried out.
It also suggested that "consideration be given to changing the current practice whereby the existence of a GSOC criminal investigation is notified by An Garda Síochána to the member involved" to notifying the garda concerned in conjuction, if appropriate, with a line manager.
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The inquiry found that GSOC was mistaken to begin a criminal investigation at the time into Sgt Galvin's actions and the actions of two colleagues following Ms Stewart's death.
However, it said: "This should not be taken to mean that the Inquiry feels that no criminal investigation at all could properly have been instigated when more information became available."
A number of legal issues prevented publication of the full report in 2016, but these impediments no longer exist for the rest of the report to be published.
In a statement, GSOC said a number of practices were reviewed in light of the recommendations made by Mr Justice Clarke and a number of changes have been made.
It said: "Mr Justice Clarke's report also recommended that sections of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, which governs the operation of GSOC, be reviewed.
"GSOC has since drawn up detailed proposals for legislative change and submitted its proposals to the Department of Justice and Equality."
