Corporate Services

Protected Disclosures Act

The Protected Disclosures Act came into effect on 15th July 2014

The Protected Disclosures Act came into effect on 15th July 2014.

 

The purpose of the Act is to provide a framework within which workers can raise concerns regarding potential wrongdoing that has come to their attention in the work place in the knowledge that protections are available to them from any form of penalisation from doing so.

 

Fingal County Council has put in place an Interim Policy and Procedure through which is intended to foster a culture and work environment within which workers are encouraged and supported in making reports in the knowledge that their concerns will be taken seriously, will be investigated, where appropriate, and that their confidentiality will be respected. 

 

This policy applies to all Fingal County Council workers including contractors, consultants, agency staff, former employees and interns/trainees.

 

The policy highlights 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 and provides workers with guidance on how to raise concerns.

In accordance with the Protected Disclosure Act 2014, the Council has appointed Mr. Brian Buckley, Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs and Governance Department to receive protected disclosures.

 

The designated officer can be contacted by:

 

Email: [email protected]

Post: Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs and Governance Department, County Hall, Swords, Co. Dublin. Telephone: 01 8905798

 

Disclosures can also be made to the Chairperson of the Audit Committee.

 

The Chairperson is the sole designated member of the Audit Committee to whom employees can make a disclosure. 

 

The Chairperson can be contacted by:

 

Email:  [email protected]

Post:  Audit Committee Chairperson, c/o Internal Audit, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Main Street, Swords, Co. Dublin (Please mark Private & Confidential)

 

The Chairperson should then refer the disclosure to the Designated Officer (see Audit Committee Protocol for Protected Disclosures).

Section 22 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 requires the publication of an Annual Report relating to Protected Disclosures received.

 

Pursuant to this requirement, Fingal County Council hereby confirms that there was one Protected Disclosure received during 2020. 

An investigation was carried out into the protected disclosure which resulted in the determination that no wrongdoing had occurred.