Source: gov.ie
The Government in Ireland has published new full guidance on whistleblowing to replace an interim version in place since last year.
The new edition of the Guidance aims to assist public bodies in understanding their obligations under the new Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 which was adopted to brings Irelands 2014 legislation in line with the new standards of the EU Directive.
Minister Donohoe, for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, in a Press Release said:
“Ireland has one of the strongest whistleblower protection laws in world but what really matters is how the legislation operates in practice. This Statutory Guidance is intended to help leaders and managers in the public sector understand their obligations under the legislation and how to go about implementing an effective process for handling protected disclosures in their organisations.”
“Formal standards – such as the Act and this Guidance – form only a part of the overall picture, however. More than anything, it is the ethos and culture of an organisation that determines whether the concerns of workers are listened to and acted upon. Leaders of organisations – in both the public and private sectors – must rise to the challenge of creating and maintaining an environment of openness and integrity in their workplaces.”
Two template policies for handling internal (within an organisation) and external (to an organisation responsible or with a remit to receive reports) have also been published.
A new order (SI 524 of 2023) to update the list of prescribed persons has also been signed. Prescribed persons are those authorities designated under the law to receive protected disclosures. The changes bring the number of these to 108.