GSOC is now Fiosrú
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, known as GSOC, was replaced by Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. The name changed; the function did not. It is still the independent body that receives and investigates complaints about members of An Garda Síochána.
If you were told to contact GSOC, or you have paperwork referring to GSOC, you are looking for Fiosrú. Its own site still carries a section for legacy GSOC complaints, so a matter opened under the old name has not disappeared.
You can complain directly
You do not have to complain to An Garda Síochána first. A complaint can be made straight to Fiosrú, which is a meaningful difference from England and Wales, where a complaint normally goes to the force in the first instance.
Fiosrú decides whether a complaint is admissible. If it is, it may investigate itself, or it may refer the matter back to An Garda Síochána. Some complaints are designated as suitable for resolution by the Gardaí. If your complaint is ruled inadmissible, or an investigation is discontinued, there is a process for asking for that decision to be reviewed.
What Fiosrú can and cannot do
It investigates the conduct of individual Garda members. It is not a route to compensation: a finding against a member does not award you money, and a civil claim is a separate process brought in the courts. Nor is it a route to reopening a criminal case or challenging a conviction.
If you want to bring a civil claim
A civil action against An Garda Síochána, for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, assault or malicious prosecution, runs in the Irish courts under Irish limitation rules, and those deadlines are strict. They run independently of any complaint to Fiosrú, and a limitation period can expire while a complaint is still being considered. Take advice from a solicitor qualified in Ireland early rather than waiting for a complaint to conclude.