Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

It is important to remember that the primary purpose of this legislation is to protect people who seek to protect the public. Legislation is needed to ensure such people who speak up are not unjustly punished. It is also important they are not ridiculed or seen as trouble makers and that their job prospects are not affected, because that is what happened. Life for anybody who tried to point out wrongdoing by somebody senior was made unliveable. Protective legislation would make it easier for people to come forward.

There is a perception that this is only relevant to the health service but it is also relevant to business, all public service departments and Departments. They must obey the laws and regulations of the land. If the whistleblowers legislation was in place, there would be an obligation on people who see wrongdoing to report it and to report malpractice where it occurs. In the past we have seen cases in banking circles, in the health service and in a number of areas where people came forward as whistleblowers but they were cast aside afterwards. This would leave them without any form of excuse in that regard. One of the main difficulties is that whistleblowing usually involves an employee blowing the whistle on somebody in a more senior position. It is important that we are seen to support this proposed legislation.

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