John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will not go over old ground, but as someone who once found himself facing some very unusual reactions from public bodies in this country when I blew a whistle on a problem, I do not believe that the culture of the public service collectively has yet managed to transcend corporatism and self-loyalty and to understand that it works for the people. If individuals blow whistles about problems, it is not the job of the public sector to put down the shutters, pull up the drawbridge and protect itself. Rather, its job is to protect the people in whose interests it should be acting. Frequently, and with no disrespect to our many fine public servants, this does not happen. The higher up the food chain one goes, the less likely it is to happen.

One then factors in other recent disclosures, for example, public bodies like the HSE sending threatening letters to people who publicly and legitimately criticised aspects of public policy. One must have a serious think about from where this culture is emanating. Is the Deputy Leader happy that an appropriate culture of respect for whistleblowing exists in the public service or is it something about which we need to have a serious think? I wonder if this would be an opportunity to hold a public consultation forum in this Chamber at which people might have the opportunity to discuss specific examples of the protection of the State not being appropriately accorded to people who brought serious concerns that, five, ten or 15 years later, we know were often legitimate and involved matters as diverse as child abuse, financial mismanagement and specific acts of malfeasance by individual public servants. Perhaps we need to have a little retreat on this issue to readjust ethical compasses.