Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

These two amendments were tabled by the Labour Party on Committee Stage in the Seanad and following some discussion I agreed to accept them. We believe the wording is more nuanced and will encourage whistleblowers to report corruption. It is clear from the wording elsewhere in section 4 of the Bill that whistleblowers must avoid knowingly or recklessly making a false, misleading, frivolous or vexatious report. These amendments make it clear that an honest whistleblower acting in good faith can come forward to report their opinion that an offence may have occurred, safe in the knowledge that they are not required to be certain that it has occurred.

The corresponding amendment to section 8(a)(3) aligns the wording of the offence of making a false report of suspected corruption to that in subsection (1) which I have just mentioned. The offence of making a false report will refer to a false report "that a person may have committed or may be committing" a corruption offence. I believe the amendments tabled by the Labour Party are acceptable and I recommend them to the House.

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