The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, will bring a memo to Cabinet this morning seeking permission to publish legislation giving additional protection to whistleblowers.

It is understood it is proposed that where a person takes a case to the Workplace Relations Commission or the courts, concerning penalisation for having made a protected disclosure, the burden of proof will be reversed.

In a significant change, it would in future be assumed that the alleged act of penalisation occurred because the worker made a protected disclosure - unless their employer can prove otherwise.

The Protected Disclosures Bill will also expand protection beyond traditional employment relationships to include volunteers, unpaid trainees, board members, shareholders, suppliers and job applicants.

Under the legislation, these individuals would be able to take a case to the WRC for the first time - if they believe they have suffered harm because of a protected disclosure.

Private sector organisations, with 50 or more employees, will be required to establish formal channels and procedures for their employees to make protected disclosures, as is the case currently in the public sector.

The rules around actions to be taken on foot of a protected disclosure is also being tightened up.

Employers and prescribed persons designated to receive protected disclosures under the Act will be subject to an obligation to acknowledge receipt of the protected disclosure within seven...

Read Full Story: https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2022/0201/1277029-protection-to-whistleblowers/