Michael McGrath said the directive was ‘among the most far reaching and most significant pieces of legislation’ ever to be adopted by the EU. File photograph: The Irish Times
Measures in place to protect whistleblowers have not gone far enough, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath has said.
Mr McGrath said for too many whistleblowers the decision to highlight wrongdoing often comes at “great personal cost” to them and their families and this can have “a chilling effect putting off others from stepping forward”.
Mr McGrath was speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday, as the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022 was being debated, which will provide for the transposition of the EU whistleblowing directive into Irish law.
The Minister said the directive was “among the most far reaching and most significant pieces of legislation” ever to be adopted by the EU.
The directive significantly widens the scope of persons who are entitled to protection for speaking up and will require many employers to establish formal channels and procedures for their workers to report concerns about wrongdoing, Mr McGrath said.
It also requires recipients of disclosures to take very specific steps with clear timelines to follow up under reports they receive.
Mr McGrath said a number of recommendations put forward by the Oireachtas Finance Committee have been referred to the Attorney General...
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