Richard Boyd Barrett denounces whistleblower failures
Richard Boyd Barrett spoke in support of a motion from Independent Ireland, condemning failures in the handling of protected disclosures and arguing whistleblowers face severe personal consequences. He presented multiple cases — in a children's residential institution, the Defence Forces, and the film industry — and accused official responses of incompetence or worse.
Barrett opened by describing an email he received from 2024 and the human cost of speaking out. He highlighted complainants who suffered stress, health setbacks, therapy, job loss and the expression "I have lost everything due to this protective disclosure," saying people who raised concerns were left without recourse.
He outlined a case where a worker at a children's residential institution made a protected disclosure alleging serious misconduct by the CEO and staff. The whistleblower reported a potential conflict of interest because the person in Tuzla handling the disclosure had regular contact with the institution, and no outcome was delivered by Tuzla despite requests to refer the matter to the minister.
Barrett detailed complaints from Defence Forces members who said exposure to dangerous chemicals affected their health and fertility, and alleged they were denied a presentation for making a protected disclosure. After a parliamentary question, the minister answered that he could not comment on protected disclosures and said he was assured by military management that no penalties occurred — a response Barrett called "unbelievable" and either incompetence or an attempt to suppress disclosures.
He raised long-standing concerns that film workers have been blacklisted after raising workplace and legal issues, including failures to implement fixed-term workers legislation. Barrett said some line producers admitted they would never rehire certain workers, and criticised the absence of independent adjudication despite state funding for the film industry, noting that the Department of Arts asks accused parties who deny the allegations.
Protected disclosures and personal consequences
Barrett opened by describing an email he received from 2024 and the human cost of speaking out. He highlighted complainants who suffered stress, health setbacks, therapy, job loss and the expression "I have lost everything due to this protective disclosure," saying people who raised concerns were left without recourse.
Children's residential institution case
He outlined a case where a worker at a children's residential institution made a protected disclosure alleging serious misconduct by the CEO and staff. The whistleblower reported a potential conflict of interest because the person in Tuzla handling the disclosure had regular contact with the institution, and no outcome was delivered by Tuzla despite requests to refer the matter to the minister.
Defence Forces complaints and ministerial reply
Barrett detailed complaints from Defence Forces members who said exposure to dangerous chemicals affected their health and fertility, and alleged they were denied a presentation for making a protected disclosure. After a parliamentary question, the minister answered that he could not comment on protected disclosures and said he was assured by military management that no penalties occurred — a response Barrett called "unbelievable" and either incompetence or an attempt to suppress disclosures.
Film industry blacklisting and lack of redress
He raised long-standing concerns that film workers have been blacklisted after raising workplace and legal issues, including failures to implement fixed-term workers legislation. Barrett said some line producers admitted they would never rehire certain workers, and criticised the absence of independent adjudication despite state funding for the film industry, noting that the Department of Arts asks accused parties who deny the allegations.
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Transcript
I thank Independent Ireland for bringing this motion forward, which we are happy to support. This is an email I got back in 2024, and I have been out sick for a few months, so I am not sure where this has developed, but it gives you an indication of the despair and the consequences for protected disclosures of a case that I have raised and submitted parliamentary questions. This is an email back to me, following up an issue for her. She was working in a children's residential institution with some of the most vulnerable children possible, and she alleged very serious allegations against the CEO and staff of that residential institution with vulnerable children, made a protected disclosure, and was concerned that the person in Tuzla who was looking at the protected disclosure was also somebody who was in regular contact with the institution and therefore was not independent. I am not in a position to judge the rights and wrongs of this, but you look at the human consequences of it. Sorry, only getting back to you now, I have been dealing with some health issues due to the stress of protective disclosure. Tuzla were supposed to give me an outcome of the protective disclosure, but never did. Could you please bring the letter to the minister's attention? I have lost everything due to this protective disclosure. While the people who have done wrong get to prosper, the lengths I went to for the last 20 years to change my life from traveller barriers I faced to addictions and having my own trauma from the care system, this woman had been through the care system and then worked in it subsequently, doing what I was supposed to do as a mandated person and report wrongdoing. I have finished therapy, I am out of work for five months. I will not go on, but you get the consequences of it. There are very serious concerns that the people who are investigating the protected disclosure, very serious protected disclosure, have a conflict of interest. Here is another example in response. This is to do with members of the Defence Forces who have come to me because they were working with dangerous chemicals that affected their health and even their ability to have children. They allege that a presentation you get when finishing the Defence Forces was denied them because they had made a protected disclosure. When I put in a PQ about this to the minister, this is the answer I got. I would like to thank the Deputy for his question. I am not at liberty to discuss or comment on any protected disclosure. However, I am assured by military management that no member of the Defence Forces is denied anything on foot of having made a protected disclosure. That is unbelievable. So a member of the Defence Forces says military management are penalising them for making a protected disclosure over the behaviour of military management. And the minister goes to military management to ask, is this true? And military management says, of course it is not true. What else are they going to say? That is an answer from the minister. It is outrageous. It is absolutely outrageous. And the minister accepts that. Now that is either an incredible incompetence or even worse, the minister is in on the attempt to suppress the protected disclosure with military management. Thank you. And now, stop the clock then, if you are going to interrupt me. Stop the clock. Just for people in the public gallery, please desist from making any reaction to any comments that are made. And just to warn the Deputy, any Deputy, not to make any comments about something that might be an ongoing investigation. So just to be careful with comments in relation to that. Thank you. Lastly, I am on foot of Deputy O'Reilly's comments about workers. It is connected to protected disclosure, but it is more generally about workers facing problems in particular industries and the punishments they suffer. I have raised again and again and again the fact that film workers working in the film industry in this country have been blacklisted out of the industry. People who have worked 20, 30 and 40 years gone out of the industry. Nothing, left with nothing, because they raised questions about the failure to implement things like the fixed term workers legislation. Now I know for a fact, because I have met some of the line producers who employ the people, and they have said, I will never be employing them again, based on their view of it. But they are the people who have the power, right? Now the problem is that there is no independent adjudication of these things, and I have raised it again and again and again that the workers have no defence against blacklisting in the film industry, even though the Irish state funds the film industry. And what does the Department of Arts do when you say this to them? They go to the people against whom the allegations are made and say, are these allegations true? And the people who get the money from the Department say, of course they are not true. Of course they are not true, we are totally innocent. So what else would they say? This has to stop. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.