The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has today (8th June) launched a public consultation process requesting the views of the public and interested stakeholders on certain provisions contained in the EU Whistleblowing Directive. The closing date for receipt of submissions is 10th July 2020.

Ireland is one of just ten EU Member States to provide comprehensive statutory protections for whistleblowers. The Protected Disclosures Act 2014 protects workers in all sectors of the economy against reprisals in circumstances where they make a disclosure of information relating to wrongdoing that came to their attention in connection with their employment.

Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and the Council on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (“the EU Whistleblowing Directive”) will expand the protections provided under the Protected Disclosures Act and will require the Act to be amended to comply with the Directive. Certain provisions within the Directive are subject to Member State discretion and it is these areas where the Department is seeking the views of interested parties.

A paper setting out the background to and details about this review can be found on the Department’s website here.

Submissions should be forwarded to PDconsultation@per.gov.ie as soon as possible, but no later than 10th July 2020.