𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐝-𝐨𝐟-𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞s 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝
Deputy Mattie McGrath raised serious concerns in the Dáil on Tuesday 15 July regarding the handling of protected disclosures in Ireland’s health system.
He criticised the absence of the Minister for Health in the Dáil Chamber to respond to the plight of whistleblowers who, despite presenting peer-reviewed evidence and FOI documents, are ignored, discredited, and left vulnerable.
Deputy McGrath referred specifically to a whistleblower who alleged regulatory failures, including misuse of end-of-life protocols in nursing homes during Covid and the failure of agencies like the HPRA and PSI to act on vaccine safety concerns.
He called for an immediate independent inquiry, demanding that the Department of Health, HPRA, and PSI respond transparently and that whistleblower protections be enforced.
In response, Minister of State Kieran O’Donnell, speaking on behalf of Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, gave a procedural reply.
He outlined the existing protected disclosures framework and the Department’s encouragement of staff to report wrongdoing without fear of penalisation.
Minister O’Donnell assured that reports forwarded to the Protected Disclosures Commissioner are handled confidentially and fairly, but he did not address Deputy McGrath’s specific allegations or commit to an independent inquiry.
In his rebuttal, Deputy McGrath reiterated the urgency and gravity of the whistleblower’s claims, including possible loss of thousands of lives, regulatory inaction, and systemic cover-ups. He again pressed for a public inquiry and immediate ministerial action.
In closing, Minister O’Donnell reiterated the Department’s general commitment to the protected disclosures process but made no new commitments beyond referring the matter back to the Minister for Health.
Credit to : M-Compass Media