Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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357. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the provisions providing protection to volunteers will be formally commenced on enactment of the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill, 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38033/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022 provides for a substantial overhaul of the legislative framework for the protection of whistleblowers as well as to transpose EU Directive 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law. Among other things, the Bill expands the personal scope of the legislation to include an individual who is or was a volunteer. This represents a significant expansion of the scope of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.

Commencement of the new legislation following enactment is a priority, not least because the deadline for transposition of the Directive has passed. Consideration needs to be given, however, to allowing for time for the new Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner to get up and running and for public bodies and relevant private sector organisations to implement the new requirements regarding the establishment of formal reporting channels. My officials are considering this and will put forward proposals in this regard shortly.