TCC Protected Disclosures Policy & Procedures

The Protected Disclosures Act 2014 has been amended by the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 which took effect from 1 January 2023. The legislation imposes new requirements on employers in both the public and private sectors and also for prescribed persons.

This Act provides a framework within which workers can raise concerns regarding potential wrongdoing that has come to their attention in the workplace in the knowledge that they can avail of significant and other protections if they are penalised by their employer or suffer any detriment for doing so.

Tipperary County Council has in place a policies and procedures, which in tandem with the legislation, will encourage workers to report potential wrongdoing in the knowledge that their concerns will be taken seriously and investigated, where appropriate, and that their confidentiality will be respected. 

The policies highlight that it is always appropriate to raise concerns when they are based on a reasonable belief, irrespective of whether any wrongdoing is in fact subsequently identified. The policies also provide workers with guidance on how to raise concerns.

The Protected Disclosures Act as amended applies to all Tipperary County Council workers including contractors, consultants, agency staff, former employees and interns/trainees and under the 2022 amendment act has been expanded to include Councillors, volunteers and job applicants.

Workers can report wrongdoing internally to their employer or externally to a third party, such as a prescribed person.

In accordance with the provisions of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014-2022, the council has appointed Mr. Ger Walsh, Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Services as the designated officer to receive protected disclosures.

Internal Disclosure Channel (for workers to employers)

For internal disclosures by workers (note wide definition in the acts) to Tipperary County Council the Designated Officer can be contacted by e-mail at ger.walsh@tipperarycoco..ie, by telephone at 052 6165905, or by post as follows,  Mr. Ger Walsh, Designated Officer Protected Disclosures, Tipperary County Council, Corporate Services, Civic Offices, Clonmel, Co Tipperary E91 N512.  Please mark all correspondence Private and Confidential.

External Disclosure Channel (for workers to prescribed persons)

The Chief Executive of each local authority is the prescribed person for receiving protected disclosures from workers in the Local Authority Sector in relation to all matters relating to the functions of a local authority under the Local Government Acts 1925 to 2019 or any other enactment.

Whistle-blowers who report relevant wrongdoing to a prescribed person are protected from retaliation by the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 as amended by the Protected Disclosures Amendment Act 2022.

External disclosures to the Chief Executive of Tipperary County Council may be sent to protecteddisclosures@tipperarycoco.ie or you may contact the designated officer Mr. Ger Walsh, SEO at 052 6165905 or by post as follows, Mr. Ger Walsh, Designated Officer Protected Disclosures, Tipperary County Council, Corporate Services, Civic Offices, Clonmel, Co Tipperary E91 N512.  Please mark all correspondence Private and Confidential.

Internal and External policy documents together with forms for making disclosures are available below on the website. Further information may be found on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform gov.ie - Protected Disclosures Act: Information for Citizens and Public Bodies (www.gov.ie)