Protected Disclosures and Whistleblowing in Ireland: Your Rights (2026)

The Protected Disclosures Acts 2014 and 2022 provide some of the strongest whistleblower protections in Europe. If you become aware of wrongdoing in your workplace and want to report it, Irish law provides significant protections against penalisation by your employer — but these protections only apply if the disclosure meets the legal requirements. This guide explains what constitutes a protected disclosure and what protections you have.

What Is a Protected Disclosure?

A protected disclosure is a disclosure of “relevant information” by a worker who reasonably believes it shows wrongdoing in their workplace. Following the 2022 amendments (which transposed the EU Whistleblowing Directive), the scope of protection was significantly expanded. Relevant information now covers wrongdoing relating to: criminal offences, breaches of legal obligations, endangerment of health and safety, damage to the environment, miscarriages of justice, unlawful or improper use of public funds, oppressive, discriminatory or grossly negligent acts, and concealment of any of the above.

Who Is Protected?

Protection extends beyond traditional employees to include: workers, contractors, agency workers, self-employed persons, volunteers, shareholders, board members, and job applicants. This is a very broad category following the 2022 amendments.

Where Can You Make a Disclosure?

Disclosures can be made to: your employer (using an internal reporting channel — employers with 50+ employees are now required to have one); a prescribed person (a regulatory body designated for your sector, such as the Central Bank, HIQA, or the WRC); a government minister; or the public (in limited circumstances where disclosure is necessary to prevent serious wrongdoing).

What Protections Apply?

A worker who makes a protected disclosure is protected from penalisation — any act or omission by the employer that is to the worker’s detriment. This includes dismissal, demotion, harassment, financial penalties, negative performance reviews, and refusal of promotion. Penalisation of a protected discloser is actionable before the WRC and the Circuit Court, with the potential for unlimited compensation in serious cases.

Burden of Proof

Importantly, where a worker establishes that they made a protected disclosure and have suffered detriment, the burden shifts to the employer to prove the detriment was not caused by the protected disclosure. This reverse burden significantly strengthens whistleblowers’ practical position.

Have you made a protected disclosure and been penalised by your employer? Book a 30-minute consultation with one of our employment solicitors immediately — time limits apply. Also see our unfair dismissal guide.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.