Under Section 21 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, all public bodies must establish and maintain procedures for the making of protected disclosures by workers who are or were employed by the public body and for dealing with such disclosures. The Central Bank of Ireland is one such public body, and its internal procedures in this area contribute towards its good governance and accountability.
In relation to the matter of transparency, section 22 of the Protected Disclosures Act requires the Bank to publish a report on the protected disclosures made and any action taken in response, which does not enable the identification of the persons involved. I view this requirement as striking a balance between transparency and the protection of those making a protected disclosure.
In relation to the case raised by the Deputy, the Central Bank published such a report on its website, which stated the Central Bank had received one such protected disclosure in between 1 July 2014 and the publication date. The report notes that "matters reported under the disclosure were investigated thoroughly by an independent party in line with Central Bank policy." Given this issue was considered by both the Central Bank and an independent party, I am satisfied that the matter has been thoroughly investigated.
