Whistleblower law in Ireland #
Ireland transposed EU Directive 2019/1937 through the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022, which commenced on January 1, 2023. Ireland has among the strongest penalties in the EU, including criminal liability and the highest unfair dismissal compensation.
Law #
Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 — commenced January 1, 2023.
Who must comply #
Organisations with 50+ employees. Deadline was January 1, 2023 (250+ employees) and December 17, 2023 (50–249 employees). Source: Citizens Information
Penalties #
- Summary conviction: fines up to €5,000 and/or up to 12 months imprisonment. Source: Lewis Silkin
- Conviction on indictment: fines up to €250,000 and/or up to 2 years imprisonment. Source: Arthur Cox
- Unfair dismissal for whistleblowing: compensation up to 5 years’ remuneration (up from the standard 2 years). Source: Citizens Information
Enforcement #
Workplace Relations Commission.