Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 28 April 2022
Public Accounts Committee
2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 24 - Justice
Vote 21 - Prisons
9:30 am
Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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I have a question on the treatment of whistleblowers. Obviously, sometimes the information they provide is good and sometimes it is not. I understand that prison is a very challenging environment and staff are dealing with very challenging situations at times and all of that. However, prisons would have a high level of autonomy and Ms McPhillips outlined that in her briefing notes, which I read yesterday. I would be aware of that from Portlaoise and Midlands Prison, which is just up the road from me. Some whistleblowers seem to go through the consequences of the whistleblowing - I suppose I could phrase it that way. For some whistleblowers who I have spoken to, the turn of events since and the outworking of the cases would confirm that they suffered enormously.