A new ‘Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner’ is to be established on foot of a proposed strengthening of legal protections for workplace whistleblowers, published this week.

The new Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill, which will transpose of an EU whistleblowing directive into Irish law, will also widen the scope of those who are entitled to protection. As well as workers, who are already covered by Irish legislation, the new proposals will extend the definition to include volunteers, job applicants and others.

It will require many employers to establish formal channels and procedures for their workers to report concerns about wrongdoing. Private sector organisations with more than 50 employees will now be obliged to establish formal channels and procedures for employees to make protected disclosures.

Ireland is one of only ten EU member states that currently have legislation in place to help protect whistleblowers. This principal legislation in Ireland is the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, which will be amended to reflect the new Bill.