Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is in every Department. It did not change with the change in Government; it is still there. There is always a reason to change a Bill, which is why we have Committee Stage. Certain Bills introduced this week will be amended on Committee Stage because no Bill on inception is perfect. I am aware of Bills that were written by professional draftspeople, who have worked for all parties, and were accepted by Ministers when they were in opposition. Now that they are in government, the same legislation, written by the same people with the same competencies and who know what is constitutional and what is not, is being rejected not by the Government, but by the permanent government, which does not like change. They do not like this legislation because departmental officials will be scrutinised more than anybody else under this legislation.

Why do we not have whistleblowing legislation? In 2004, the Irish Bank Officials Association asked for whistleblowing legislation. The reply given here was that we needed more comprehensive whistleblowing legislation. Almost ten years later what whistleblowing legislation do we have? We have none because the officials always give their Ministers reasons for not doing something. It is easy to find a reason to do nothing, but 14 people a day in Ireland will continue to die.