Guide published on how to safely be a whistleblower

A guide and online video to encourage whistleblowers to “speak up safely” have been published by Transparency International Ireland.

Potential whistleblowers should be aware of the risks involved in speaking out against wrongdoing and understand how these risks can be minimised, said the organisation.

Workers who highlight wrongdoing gained extensive protection earlier this year when the Protected Disclosures Act came into effect in July.

The legislation protects workers who report concerns in the public, private and non-profit sectors. It covers all employees, contractors, agency workers, gardaí and members of the Defence Forces.

The new guide is written as a plain-English companion to the Act. It is designed “to make sure that when workers speak up, they do so in the right way,” said Transparency Ireland legal counsellor Susheela Math.

Key sections

The guide explains what sort of information to report, who to report it to and how to report it correctly. Key sections set out who is covered by the legislation; what sort of protection is offered and what whistleblowers can expect after speaking out.

Transparency Ireland is the Irish chapter of the international anti-corruption (defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain) organisation. It advised the Government on drawing up the Protected Disclosures Act.

Ms Math said previous whistleblower protections were inadequate because they were concentrated in a number of different Acts and didn’t cover all workers.

She said the new legislation is welcome and, although “not perfect”, is “a very significant step forward”. The Act is due to be reviewed in three years.