I thank Independent Ireland for bringing this motion forward, which we are happy to support. I got an email back in 2024, and I have been out sick for a few months so I am not sure to where this has developed, but it gives an indication of the despair and the consequences for those who make protected disclosures. It is a case I raised and about which I submitted parliamentary questions. This is an email to me after we followed up an issue for her. By the way, she was working in a children's residential institution with some of the most vulnerable children possible. She alleged very serious allegations against the CEO and staff of that residential institution with vulnerable children. She made a protected disclosure and was concerned that the person in Tusla 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 must look at the human consequences of it. She sent an email that said she was sorry she was only getting back to me now as she was dealing with some health issues due to the stress of the protected disclosure. She told me Tusla was supposed to give her an outcome of the protected disclosure but never did. She asked if I could please bring the letter to the Minister's attention. She said she had lost everything due to the protected disclosure while the people who have done wrong get to prosper. She detailed the lengths she went to for the past 20 years to change her life and the Traveller barriers she faced of addiction and having her own trauma from the care system. This woman had been through the care system and subsequently worked in it. She said she did what she was supposed to do as a mandated person and reported wrong doing. She finished therapy and is now out of work for five months. I will not go on but the Minister of State understands the consequences of it. She raised very serious concerns that the people who are investigating the protected disclosure - a very serious protected disclosure - have a conflict of interest. Here is another example. This is to do with members of the Defence Forces who came to me because they alleged 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 you finish in the Defence Forces was denied to them because they had made a protected disclosure. When I put in a parliamentary question about this to the Minister, this was 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. A member of the Defence Forces says military management are penalising them for making a protected disclosure over the behaviour of military management. The Minister then goes to military management to ask whether this true and military management says of course it is not true. What else would it say? That is an answer from the Minister. It is absolutely outrageous. The Minister accepts that and it is either incredible incompetence or, even worse, the Minister is in on it and in on the attempt to suppress the protected disclosure with military management.

Sentiment score: 0.10

The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach should stop the clock if he is going to interrupt me. Stop the clock.

Sentiment score: -0.43

Stop the clock.

Sentiment score: -0.30

Lastly, on foot of comments from Deputy O'Reilly about workers, it is connected to protected disclosures but it is more generally about workers facing problems in particular industries and the punishments they suffer. I have raised 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 for 20, 30 and 40 years are gone from the industry and left with nothing - because they raised questions about the failure to implement things like the fixed-term workers' legislation. I know for a fact, because I have met some of them, that the line producers who employ the people have said they will never employ them again based on their view of it. They are the people who have the power. The problem is that there is no independent adjudication of these things and I have raised again and again that the workers have no defence against blacklisting in the film industry, even though the Irish State funds the film industry. What does the Department of arts do when you say this to it? It goes to the people against whom the allegations are made to ask whether the allegations are true. The people who get the money from the Department say of course they are not true and they are totally innocent. What else would they say? This has to stop.

Sentiment score: -0.16