Mr. John Devitt:

I am sorry but I missed most of the questions asked by Deputy Farrell. To reiterate what Ms Casey has said, the helpline is a first port of call for people.

In terms of the earlier question, the helpline complements the support that employers might give their staff. As Ms Casey might have said, we work with about 30 employers that are mainly in the public service. They are asked to advertise the availability of these free supports through the helpline. Our goal is to make sure that people make an informed decision before they speak up, which is considered good practice in the corporate sector. A number of multinational companies provide the facility to allow people to think an ethical dilemma through and seek advice on whether what they have witnessed is a protected disclosure or a grievance.

The goal is to make sure that people make an informed decision before they go to a lawyer. One of our goals is to make sure that people do not litigate. If workers and employers are at loggerheads and are before the Workplace Relations Commission or the civil courts, we see that as a failure. These protections and the legislation should not be seen as the last resort. We want to encourage employers to make sure they have the necessary support in place so that people can seek advice and think these dilemmas through before things escalate. We also want employers to be well positioned to act on concerns promptly and thoroughly.