How to get compliant with the Whistleblowing Law
Transposition of the EU Whistleblowing Directive into a national whistleblowing law has been completed in Ireland. On 21 July 2022, President Higgins signed the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022. The law will enter into force on January 1, 2023.
All private employers with 250 or more employees, as well as public bodies, must implement reporting channels by this date. For employers with between 50 and 249 employees, the deadline is December 17, 2023.
TI Ireland mentions measures that could potentially weaken the existing protection of whistleblowers (from 2014). Such measures include;
Overall, the new Whistleblower Act is expected to strengthen the already relative strong safeguards for whistleblowers in Ireland.
The legislation will also require employers to provide feedback to whistleblowers. Organisations with more than 50 employees must implement policies and internal reporting channels that allow for “diligent follow-up” on whistleblower reports.
A new Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner will be hosted in the Office of the Ombudsman, to assess and oversee investigation of external whistleblower reports.
According to Transparency International Ireland, the impact of the reforms will depend on how policy makers will implement the more ambiguous details of the whistleblowing law. You can find more information about Protection for whistleblowers in Ireland on Citizens Information.
Would you like to learn more about a whistleblowing service and safe internal reporting channels? You can read more about the EU Whistleblowing Directive or contact us to discuss a secure whistleblowing solution for your organisation.
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