Annoying, maybe, but whistleblowers provide essential service

IF Garda Sgt Maurice McCabe had been a docile, compliant and fearful member of An Garda Síochána, his complaints about malpractice within the force would never have come to light. It was his resilience, courage and, above all, his turbulent persistence that assured his observations gained the oxygen of publicity required to expose shortcomings within the organisation.

Whistleblowers can be annoying, interfering and irritating in the extreme, but they play a huge and valued role in society. Without them, we would not be able to exercise fully the checks and balances that democracy requires. Without them, we would dwell in a complacent veil of ignorance and apathy. Without them, we would not be able to investigate, let alone challenge, our institutions of government or, in this instance, how our ‘Guardians of the Peace’ force operates.

Sgt McCabe, along with his colleague Superintendent David Taylor who made a protected disclosure on alleged attempts to discredit McCabe, have been vilified for daring to upset the apple cart. That – more often than not – is the fate of whistleblowers. Most are, at first, ignored or their allegations discounted. If that doesn’t work they face being discredited.