Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I welcome the progress of the Bill and look forward to seeing it enacted. While recognising the intent behind it is to meet our international commitments, we are, however, only scratching at the surface of what is required. I will not reiterate at length what I said earlier, namely, there is the possibility and ought to be an acknowledgement that there are general principles which apply to the protection of whistleblowers, whether in the context of the reporting of corruption or other kinds of wrongdoing or mismanagement.

What we should have before us is not the minimalist legislation this Bill represents but something more substantial that takes account of the weaknesses that have emerged in our society and culture around wrongdoing and our general failure as a population on occasion to take wrongdoing seriously and to take the necessary steps to ensure it stops. We have a journey to go in terms of creating the kind of culture where whistleblowers acting in good faith can do right by themselves, the organisations for which they are working and their society. I look forward to a more open approach on that issue and to the bringing of legislation before these Houses that will go much further than this legislation.