Lisa McDonald (Fianna Fail)

All we are doing is turning people away from the noble profession of politics. I decided to get involved, despite having had no familial involvement. I have significant familial involvement in community activities, with my parents spending every waking hour training young people to play hurling. What we are doing is bringing down the body politic which needs confidence. What the Senator said was mealy-mouthed. We are talking about the prevention of corruption which extends across the board. We want to promote integrity, accountability and proper management of our public affairs and public property. The protection of whistleblowers is long overdue and I am glad to be here on the day we are introducing whistleblowers legislation which is well balanced and protects against vexatious reports.

Does the scope of the Bill include members of committees and boards? There was an example in my constituency of Wexford of a politician who blew the whistle on certain things that were going on which did not involve my party and he ended up in a Garda station being asked where he had obtained the information. Whistleblower's charter legislation would have protected him in that regard. He was only trying to serve the public in the best way he knew how.

We have a sophisticated body of anti-corruption legislation dating back to the late 19th century. In addition to having the legislative code correct, we need to see it being carried out and people being brought to task for corrupt acts. While I am not naming anyone in that regard, the public at large require persons who have been corrupt to be dealt with in a fair and judicious way under the law. I welcome the Bill.