The musings by the Director of Public Prosecutions as reported HERE warrant a book written on them. He has pointed to the need for, and social value of whistleblowers.

This being a blog, a posting will have to suffice.

His musings were followed by a proposal from the Minister for Justice, the terms of which are currently obscure.

Assuming that there is no co-ordination between the Minister for Justice and the DPP, and assuming them to be decent, well-meaning office holders, why do these pronouncements appear as if the speaker was the first to address the problem?

The Labour Party tabled a Whistleblower’s Bill and it went nowhere. It was within the power of the Minister’s party to drive it, or to kill it. It was killed.

Transparency International has compiled a review of the lack of protection for whistleblowers in Ireland. See it HERE.

Transparency International recommend one single piece of legislation to protect (and promote) whistleblowing. As they point out, the UK did exactly that in 1998 with the Public Interest Disclosure Act. See it HERE
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Of particular interest to this blog (we are personal injury lawyers, albeit multi-tasking) are the provisions of Section 27 of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. See it HERE.

Now read the obligations imposed on employees HERE by Section 13 (h) of the Safety Health and Safety at Work Act 2005.

The DPP thinks that recourse to the Employment Appeals Tribunal is cold comfort for a dismissed employee whistleblower.

Surely the Government knew this in 2005, if the DPP can know it now?