Mr. John Wilson:

Yes, a Chathaoirligh. I have a couple of points. On accountability, there was zero accountability in my case or in that of Maurice McCabe. Ms Grace said all the people she complained about got promoted. It is very important we have accountability and that somebody is held accountable. When a bona fide whistleblower makes a complaint and if and when it is upheld, it is vitally important to instill confidence in other whistleblowers that there is accountability and somebody is made pay the price.

I mention something Mr. Brennan said earlier which I have a little difficulty with. If I heard him correctly, he spoke about people who make disclosure and do not follow them through. I have a problem with that. If somebody makes a bona fide complaint, he or she should be willing to follow it through. It is like throwing a hand grenade into a crowded room and then running away. Maybe I am wrong on that.

Another very important point is this legislation should deal with people who make false complaints. We are here to discuss the concerns of bona fide whistleblowers. It is vitally important to include in any legislation penalties for people who deliberately make false allegations and portray themselves as bona fide whistleblowers.