Irish minister Brendan Howlin has announced that the government is drawing up a draft Bill on Protected Disclosures in the Public Interest.
This new legislation is designed to protect whistleblowers who report what they genuinely perceive as possible criminal offences – or failure to comply with a legal obligation, the miscarriage of justice or the infringement of health and safety legislation. However, as currently conceived, the legislation will not apply to disclosures made on an anonymous basis. But protection will extend to matters arising in another country – provided they breach the laws of Ireland or the other jurisdiction.
The final draft of the Bill is expected to be published in the second quarter of this year.