Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)

I thank the Minister for his reply but it is a bit like previous replies in that it does not really say much. How many people will come forward as whistleblowers and sign these non-disclosure agreements, and how many problems will be hidden and put under the carpet yet again, before 2027? If we did not have the likes of Vicky Phelan, who decided not to sign a non-disclosure agreement, we may not have ever known of the scandals and the number of deaths. How many things have been hidden in Tusla, the HSE or banking? If whistleblowers had wanted to come forward from the banking sector prior to the collapse in 2007, when we in the House all now know there were people asleep at the wheel at the head of financial regulation, they could not have done so because they had signed non-disclosure agreements. Banking scandals were hidden. So many other scandals are hidden in this country that we are not even able to get to because of the fact that whistleblowers do not have legal support.

We have to get this sorted, or else we will be a nation of cover up after cover up, learning nothing from all the cover ups.

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