Mr. Philip Brennan:

I have certainly seen some cases dealt with behind the scenes by responsible employers who take up the matter, address and deal with it without penalisation. The cases that tend to get publicity are problematic and there have been a number of these. There are certainly cases where matters are raised behind the scenes by responsible whistleblowers and the employers taking them up are concerned about getting independent people to investigate them. I do not agree, by the way, with the point made earlier that he who pays the piper calls the tune. Anybody who is properly professional in doing so will act independently and will make a report on the basis of what they find. I certainly would have no interest in doing any business with employers who felt they had any control over what might be the outcome. There are cases of success and we should not lose sight of them. Unfortunately, there are problematic cases as well.