RTÉ Brainstorm – Can organisations be kept honest during the pandemic?
Whitaker Institute member Professor Kate Kenny, co-leader of the Work, Organizations and Society cluster, has co-authored an article for RTÉ Brainstorm with Dr Laura Kierans, of Maynooth University. The piece argues the need to support whistleblowers to ensure accountability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Can organisations be kept honest during the pandemic?
Opinion: supporting genuine whistleblowers will play a vital role in stopping organisations engaging in fraud and wrongdoing during Covid-19
By Lauren Kierans, Maynooth University and Kate Kenny, NUI Galway
The massive dislocation due to Covid-19 represents a “perfect storm” for fraud and wrongdoing in Ireland and elsewhere. The only way to deal with this is to ensure accountability. Supporting genuine whistleblowers plays a vital role.
Right now, though, they are often left exposed and Ireland is at a critical juncture here. We have a pretty good whistleblower protection law on paper, but the last few years have shown problems with it. Some organisations have not taken the law seriously and some workers have found themselves open to retaliation after raising serious concerns. A new EU directive, passed in 2019, offers the chance for Ireland to make significant improvements in how we protect people who speak out about wrongdoing. Continue reading…