Whistleblower law - No excuse for stalling

Everybody in society is going to end up paying for the current financial debacle, but in many instances it will be the people at the bottom of the ladder – those who had nothing to do with what went wrong – who will probably be compelled to shoulder a disproportionate share of the burden.

Those who, through their maladministration, bungling indifference, or sheer greed, essentially slew the Celtic Tiger may well walk away having been rewarded for their incompetence, or for ripping off Irish society. Those who committed criminal offences should be held accountable.

Our whole system of justice is essentially on trial, because there is a growing perception that the poor woman who steals clothes for her children will ultimately go to jail, but the banker or businessman who pockets hundreds of thousands, or even millions, is untouchable. There is enormous public frustration that none of those involved in the banking scandal have been prosecuted.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) explained the complexities of such a prosecution. For one thing, he called for a whistleblower’s charter, because without it, there is little chance of getting the evidence necessary to build a successful case. There has been no successful prosecution of an insider trading case in this country since the legislation was enacted in 1990.

Pat Rabbitte of the Labour Party has twice introduced legislation to protect whistleblowers. The Government has frustrated both bills and has made no effort to introduce legislation of its own.

Most members of the Government were in office while the financial debacle occurred, so questions must be asked about why they are currently dragging their feet in relation to providing the kind of whistleblower legislation that the DPP deems necessary to build a case against those who have plundered this country.