A Whistleblowers' Protection Bill which has been on the Government's legislation list for the past seven years has finally been withdrawn by the Government.
Minister of State for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen yesterday formally withdrew the 1999 Bill from the Dáil's order paper. The legislation had been introduced as a Private Members' Bill by Labour leader Pat Rabbitte and accepted by the Government seven years ago.
In 2002 it was formally recommitted as a legislative proposal by Government to the Dáil's order paper.
However, following a debate last month on the protection of individuals who expose official wrongdoing, Minister for Enterprise Micheál Martin announced that he would withdraw the legislation as protection was being offered to whistleblowers on a sectoral basis through individual pieces of legislation, and there were exceptional legal difficulties with the original Bill.
Mr Killeen said there could be no sense of complacency, and protection would continue to be provided through legislation, as had been done with legislation on reporting child abuse; on ethics in public office; and under the Competition Act.
However, Mr Rabbitte described the withdrawal of the Bill as "shameful though not unexpected". He said "the real reason the Government reversed engines and decided not to proceed with important legislation" was that it was afraid it might offend multinationals.
Such companies had experience of such legislation in other jurisdictions, and "if they can persuade the Government to impose much poorer standards of corporate governance than they are used to elsewhere, they would be foolish not to throw their weight around".
Dan Neville (FG, Limerick West) described the Labour Party Bill as "exemplary", and said many of the "dodgy deals" in high places might have been revealed much sooner had such legislation been in place.
Sinn Féin's Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said it was "more than a little odd that the Government is claiming legal difficulties given similar legislation has been enacted in other jurisdictions which have similar legal systems" such as Britain and the North.
Paddy McHugh (Ind, Galway East) said it was extraordinary that it had taken seven years for the Government to act, and that action was to remove the Bill.
Paudge Connolly (Ind, Cavan- Monaghan) said the move to a sectoral approach was a "cop-out".