Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and Taoiseach to begin pre-legislative scrutiny of General Scheme of Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2021

The meeting at 12.30pm in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House will discuss the Heads of the Bill with whistleblowers Noel McGree and John Wilson; Julie Grace of Whistleblowers Ireland; and Philip Brennan of Raiseaconcern.

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy John McGuinness said: “This Bill proposes to transpose into Irish law the EU Whistleblowing Directive by amending the existing Protected Disclosures Act.

“Proposals contained in the Bill include that volunteers, unpaid trainees, board members, shareholders and job applicants will all come under the Protected Disclosures Act for the first time. It is also proposed that private sector organisations with 50 or more employees will be required to establish formal channels and procedures for their employees to make protected disclosures, in the same way as in the public sector.

“The Committee held preliminary discussions on the Bill soon after it was published in May of this year and we now look forward to carrying out detailed scrutiny of the Heads of the Bill with these stakeholders and hearing their views on this important legislation.”

The Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and Taoiseach has 13 Members, nine from the Dáil and four from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 4 can be viewed live on Oireachtas.ie.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.