Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is a review ongoing by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform of how protected disclosures legislation is operating.

The case shows the legislation to be operating in a shambolic way when it comes to Cork Institute of Technology. A protected disclosure was made from CIT in 2012 and was acknowledged as such – I have a copy of the email acknowledging it. The disclosure was repeated in 2017. It was mishandled across the board, including by the Higher Education Authority and the Department. Evidence was given before the Committee of Public Accounts but I do not believe it stands up to scrutiny. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, the Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, are all aware of this.

The individual in the case who took out the protected disclosure has been out of work for more than four years without an income. This is not the way these issues should be treated.

The president of the college has not dealt with this issue appropriately. The HEA has not dealt with it appropriately and, dare I say it, the Department has not dealt with it appropriately. All along, this person has been without an income because of doing the right thing. The Minister of State is well aware of this case. It is strange for myself and the two Deputies opposite. We come from Tipperary, Kilkenny and Sligo and yet we are raising an issue relating to Cork Institute of Technology.

I appeal to the Minister of State to use her offices to deal with this issue and give faith back to people so they can make protected disclosures.

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