Substantial changes to Irish whistleblowing law will be introduced by the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act, 2022 (the “Amendment Act”) on 1 January 2023.

Protection for whistleblowers is not a new concept in Ireland. There is already strong protection for whistleblowers under the Protected Disclosures Act, 2014 (the “2014 Act”). However, the Amendment Act introduces a number of new and substantial obligations, including by implementing Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (“Whistleblowing Directive”).

From 1 January 2023, certain categories of employers will be required to establish, maintain and operate secure and confidential reporting channels and procedures for a widely defined category of workers who wish to make a protected disclosure.

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