Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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88. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to serious concerns over the perceived failure of the Health and Safety Authority to respond to protected disclosures made in relation to dangerous work practices; and the steps he is taking to ensure that protected disclosures are dealt with in a prompt and serious manner. [9314/22]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Protected Disclosures Act 2014 protects workers in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors from retaliation if they speak up about wrongdoing in the workplace. Persons who make protected disclosures are protected by law and should not be treated unfairly or lose their job because they have made a protected disclosure.

The Health and Safety Authority has systems and procedures in place for addressing complaints and protected disclosures received, including the initiation of an inspection or investigation where appropriate. Information on its protected disclosure process is published on its website at www.hsa.ie

I have been assured by the Health and Safety Authority that it responds and follows up on all protected disclosures which fall within their remit.

Public Bodies are also required to publish a report on the number of protected disclosures made to the public body in the preceding year and the action taken (if any) in response to the protected disclosures.  In 2021, the Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority, in the context of her role as a prescribed person under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, received 11 protected disclosures from parties external to the Health and Safety Authority and relating to third parties. All disclosures were referred to inspectors for investigation. Four of the disclosures have been closed out and the rest remain under investigation.  

The Health and Safety Authority does not comment on the content or nature of disclosures received and carries out its obligations under the Protected Disclosures Act independently of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.