merrion street

Patrick O’Donovan T.D., Minister of State for Public Procurement, Open Government and eGovernment, has today (Thursday, 17th August) launched the public consultation process for the review of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. The closing date for receipt of submissions is Tuesday 10 October 2017.
The Protected Disclosures Act 2014 provides statutory protections for workers in all sectors of the economy against reprisals in circumstances where they make a disclosure of information relating to wrongdoing, that have come to their attention in connection with their employment.
Minister O’Donovan said: ‘The Protected Disclosures Act has been an important part of the Government’s reform agenda. Organisations in both the public and private sector should welcome the whistleblower who is prepared to disclose information on serious wrongdoing in a workplace-setting as a critical element in detecting and ameliorating malfeasance.’
The Minister also said: “The Act can play an important role in encouraging the decisive shift required in the culture of organisations and the perspectives of those working in them to accept the positive contribution that whistleblowing can make to identifying and mitigating significant reputational risks to organisations. After three years it is an appropriate time to review the operation of the Act and to seek views on where it is working well and whether improvements can be made.”
A paper setting out the background to and details about this review can be found on the Department’s website.
Submissions should be forwarded to PDconsultation@per.gov.ie as soon as possible, but no later than Tuesday 10 October 2017.
ENDS

Notes for Editors
Under Section 2 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, the review of the Act must be finalised by 8th July 2018. On completion of the review the Minister must make a report to each House of the Oireachtas of the findings made on the review and of the conclusions drawn from the findings.