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Protected Disclosures Commissioner publishes first annual report
From Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner (OPDC)
Published on
Last updated on
From Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner (OPDC)
Published on
Last updated on
The Protected Disclosures Commissioner, Ger Deering, today published a report on the work of his Office during its first year dealing with reports of wrongdoing in the workplace.
The Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner was set up in January 2023 under the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act, 2022. The role of the Office is to send reports it receives of wrongdoing in the workplace (sometimes called ‘whistleblowing’) to the organisation best placed to follow-up on the report, such as a regulator for that area. Mr Deering’s Office also deals with a report of workplace-wrongdoing if there is no appropriate organisation to deal with it.
The Protected Disclosures Commissioner received 283 reports in 2023 from workers and others alleging wrongdoing in the workplace. During 2023 it sent 267 of the reports to organisations who were best placed to deal with the allegations, with the Commissioner’s Office dealing with 14 of the reports itself. (Two reports were on hand at the end of 2023 which were sent to an appropriate organisation in January 2024.)
The Protected Disclosures Commissioner Ger Deering, who is also Ombudsman and Information Commissioner, said:
“It is important that organisations take reports of wrongdoing seriously. Such reports should be considered an important tool in good corporate governance, and identifying and stopping wrongdoing.”
The Protected Disclosures Commissioner’s Annual Report 2023 is available at www.opdc.ie
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Note for Editors
Important: In relation to the tables set out on page 15 of the annual report (‘Top 5 persons the OPDC transmitted reports to’) the figures do not necessarily reflect reports or wrongdoing in that organisation. Rather, it reflects the organisation best-placed to deal with the allegation of wrongdoing, for example those with a regulatory role in that area.
The Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner was set up under the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act, 2022 The Act provides that the Ombudsman (currently Ger Deering) will be the Protected Disclosures Commissioner. The Office commenced operations on 1 January 2023. The role of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner is to send reports of wrongdoing in the workplace (received from a worker, a Government Minister, or a ‘prescribed person’ such as a regulator), to the most appropriate organisation to follow-up on the report in accordance with the Act.
In certain circumstances, the Protected Disclosures Commissioner will consider a report of wrongdoing and follow it up if there is no other appropriate organisation.
Therefore, someone wishing to make a protected disclosure can contact their employer, a Government Minister, or a ‘prescribed person’ such as the Workplace Relations Commission or HIQA. If they are unsure where to go, they can also contact the Protected Disclosures Commissioner who will send it to the person best placed to deal with it.