Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Protected Disclosures Act 2014 aims to protect people who raise concerns about wrongdoing in their workplaces. The Act provides for redress for employees who are dismissed or otherwise penalised for having reported possible wrongdoings in the workplace. In general, people who receive the protected disclosures or those who subsequently deal with them may not disclose any information to other persons that may identify the person who made the disclosure. I am, therefore, not routinely made aware of protected disclosures that are made to the HSE for that very reason. It is part of the protection of those who are making them.

The Department has put in place policies and procedures for handling these protected disclosures in line with the Act. I recognise the Deputy has raised this issue on several occasions and the Department is aware of it.

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