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134-734: In 2014, material was revealed by two whistleblowers of the Garda Síochána, Maurice McCabe and John Wilson, to the Garda Confidential Recipient. The disclosures, and the handling of the disclosures, led to the resignation of Ireland's Minister for Justice and Equality , Alan Shatter , and the Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan . It also led to the retirement of Callinan's successor as Commissioner, Nóirín O'Sullivan . A subsequent investigation into

268-439: A superintendent assisted by a team of inspectors . Each district contains a number of sub-districts, which are usually commanded by sergeants . Typically each subdistrict contains only one Garda station . A different number of Gardaí are based at each station depending on its importance. Most of these stations employ the basic rank of Garda , which was referred to as the rank of Guard until 1972. The most junior members of

402-624: A whistleblower on corruption within the Garda Síochána , Ireland's national police force. During the early 2000s, he served as sergeant-in-charge at the Garda station in Bailieborough , County Cavan . McCabe had expressed a number of concerns during his time as station sergeant. Incidents included off-duty Gardaí attempting to deal with a suicide situation, gardaí making use of unmarked Garda vehicles while off duty, and issues regarding

536-626: A "Whistleblower Protection Directive" containing broad free speech protections for whistleblowers in both the public and the private sectors, including for journalists, in all member states of the European Union . The Directive prohibits direct or indirect retaliation against employees, current and former, in the public sector and the private sector. The Directive's protections apply to employees, to volunteers, and to those who assist them, including to civil society organizations and to journalists who report on their evidence. In October 2021,

670-425: A claim or narrative. A case involving the scientific community engaging in research fraudulence is that of Dr. Cyril Burt . Dr Cyril Burt was a British psychologist who proposed that he had discovered a heritable factor for intelligence based on studying twins. Dr. Oliver Gillie , a former colleague of Dr. Burt, inquired about Dr. Burt’s work, doubting the authenticity of the data and the certain twins that Dr. Burt

804-399: A climate whereby employees are more likely to report or seek guidance regarding potential or actual wrongdoing without fear of retaliation. The coming anti-bribery management systems standard, ISO 37001 , includes anonymous reporting as one of the criteria for the new standard. External whistleblowers report misconduct to outside people or entities. In these cases, depending on the nature of

938-547: A commitment, of the law or regulations, or a serious threat or harm to general interest, which he or she has become personally aware of. " It excludes certain professional secrets such as national defense secrecy, medical secrecy or the secrecy of relations between a lawyer and his client. In 2022, two laws are passed to transpose the European Directive 2019/1937 of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law. One of them strengthens

1072-475: A comprehensive Commission of Investigation whose terms of reference ought to include “definite matters of urgent public importance” such as the case of Jerry McGrath, who was convicted of murdering Sylvia Roche-Kelly in Limerick while on bail in 2007. Guerin concluded: "No complex organisation can succeed in its task if it cannot find the means of heeding the voice of a member whose immediate supervisors hold in

1206-702: A disclosure. Whistleblowing can occur in the private sector or the public sector. Whistleblowers often face retaliation for their disclosure, including termination of employment. Several other actions may also be considered retaliatory, including unreasonable increase in workloads, reduction of hours, preventing task completion, mobbing or bullying. Laws in many countries attempt to provide protection for whistleblowers and regulate whistleblowing activities. These laws tend to adopt different approaches to public and private sector whistleblowing. Whistleblowers do not always achieve their aims; for their claims to be credible and successful, they must have compelling evidence so that

1340-414: A firmer academic basis in virtue ethics . It is likely that many people do not even consider whistleblowing not only because of fear of retaliation but also because of fear of losing relationships both at and outside work. Persecution of whistleblowers has become a serious issue in many parts of the world: Employees in academia, business or government might become aware of serious risks to health and

1474-451: A good-faith report of a whistleblowing action or cooperating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit arising under said action. Federal whistleblower legislation includes a statute protecting all government employees. In the federal civil service, the government is prohibited from taking, or threatening to take, any personnel action against an employee because the employee disclosed information that they reasonably believed showed

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1608-464: A manager or to external factors, such as their lawyer or the police. Whistleblowing in the private sector is typically not high-profile or openly discussed in major news outlets, though occasionally, third parties expose human rights violations and exploitation of workers. Many governments attempt to protect such whistleblowers. In the United States, for example, there are organizations such as

1742-612: A motivating forces. A 2012 study shows that individuals are more likely to blow the whistle when others know about the wrongdoing, because they fear the consequences of keeping silent. In cases where one person is responsible for wrongdoing, the whistleblower may file a formal report, rather than directly confronting the wrongdoer, because confrontation would be more emotionally and psychologically stressful. Furthermore, individuals may be motivated to report unethical behavior when they believe their organizations will support them. Professionals in management roles may feel responsibility to blow

1876-570: A predominantly unarmed force , and more than three quarters of the service do not routinely carry firearms. As of February 2023, the police service had 14,470 sworn members (including 371 sworn Reserve members) and 3,348 civilian staff. Operationally, the Garda Síochána is organised into four geographical regions: the East, North/West, South and Dublin Metropolitan regions, in turn broken into divisions, districts and sub-districts. The service

2010-480: A reality but dismissed the suggestion that this was currently being considered. In 2012, O'Toole was succeeded by Robert K. Olson. Over 2000 complaints were made against the organisation in 2009, with a similar number of complaints by 2017. The Garda Commissioner referred over 100 incidents where the conduct of a garda resulted in death or serious injury to the Ombudsman for investigation. Also newly instrumented,

2144-458: A result of litigation regarding harms such as unfair dismissal, which they often face with little or no support from unions. Whistleblowers who continue to pursue their concerns may also face long battles with official bodies such as regulators and government departments. Such bodies may reproduce the "institutional silence" adopted by employers, adding to whistleblowers' stress and difficulties. Thus, whistleblowers often suffer great injustice that

2278-1221: A result of whistleblowing. Revealing a whistleblower's identity can automatically put their life in danger. Some media outlets associate words like "traitor" and "treason" with whistleblowers, and in many countries around the world, the punishment for treason is the death penalty , even if whoever allegedly committed treason may not have caused anyone physical harm. In some instances, whistleblowers must flee their country to avoid public scrutiny, threats of death or physical harm, and in some cases criminal charges. Whistleblowers are often protected under law from employer retaliation, but in many cases, punishment such as termination , suspension , demotion , wage garnishment , and/or harsh mistreatment by other employees occurs. A 2009 study found that up to 38% of whistleblowers experienced professional retaliation in some form, including wrongful termination. Following dismissal, whistleblowers may struggle to find employment due to damaged reputations, poor references, and blacklisting . The socioeconomic impact of whistleblowing through loss of livelihood and family strain may also impact whistleblowers' psychological well-being. Whistleblowers often experience immense stress as

2412-748: A section of the SDU, are deployed on more than 100 VIP protection duties per year. Prior to the creation of the Irish Free State, policing in Ireland had been undertaken by the quasi-military Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), with a separate and unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP). These were joined in 1919 by a parallel security force loyal to the provisional government, the Irish Republican Police . The early years of

2546-717: A sharp decline in ethical practices, as opposed to a gradual worsening. There are generally two metrics by which whistleblowers determine if a practice is unethical . The first metric involves a violation of the organization's bylaws or written ethical policies. These violations allow individuals to concretize and rationalize blowing the whistle. On the other hand, "value-driven" whistleblowers are influenced by their personal codes of ethics or by public service motivation which comes from an alignment of personal, cultural and organisational values. In these cases, whistleblowers have been criticized for being driven by personal biases. In addition to ethics, social and organizational pressure are

2680-419: A specific goal, adjusting how data is shown or explained, looking at data in a biased manner, and leaving out parts about data analysis and conclusions. Dr. Paolo Macchiarini is well-known within the scientific community as a thoracic surgeon and former regenerative researcher. Dr Macchiarini claimed to have made profound advancements in trachea transplantation by using synthetic tracheal scaffolds planted with

2814-413: A supervisor, human resources , compliance , or a neutral third party within the company, hoping that the company will address and correct the issues. A whistleblower can also bring allegations to light by communicating with external entities, such as the media , government, or law enforcement. Some countries legislate as to what constitutes a protected disclosure, and the permissible methods of presenting

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2948-441: A topic called guerrilla government. "Rather than acting openly, guerrillas often choose to remain "in the closet", moving clandestinely behind the scenes, salmon swimming upstream against the current of power. Over the years, I have learned that the motivations driving guerrillas are diverse. The reasons for acting range from the altruistic (doing the right thing) to the seemingly petty (I was passed over for that promotion). Taken as

3082-532: A violation of law, gross mismanagement, and gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public safety or health. To prevail on a claim, a federal employee must show that a protected disclosure was made, that the accused official knew of the disclosure, that retaliation resulted, and that there was a genuine connection between the retaliation and the employee's action. Research fraud involves data, processes, or observations that were never there to begin with or later added on to fit

3216-944: A wall of silence and hostility by management or colleagues. Depression is often reported by whistleblowers, and suicidal thoughts may occur in up to about 10%. General deterioration in health and self care has been described. The range of symptomatology shares many of the features of posttraumatic stress disorder , though there is debate about whether the trauma experienced by whistleblowers meets diagnostic thresholds. Increased stress -related physical illness has also been described in whistleblowers. The stresses involved in whistleblowing can be huge and may deter whistleblowing out of fear of failure and reprisals. Some whistleblowers speak of overwhelming and persistent distress, drug and alcohol problems, paranoid behavior at work, acute anxiety , nightmares , flashbacks , and intrusive thoughts . This fear may indeed be justified because an individual who feels threatened by whistleblowing may plan

3350-455: A wall of silence, and prevent any organization from experiencing the improvements that may be afforded by intelligent failure. Some whistleblowers who break ranks with their organizations have had their mental stability questioned, such as Adrian Schoolcraft , the NYPD veteran who alleged falsified crime statistics in his department and was forcibly committed to a mental institution. Conversely,

3484-456: A whole, their acts are as awe inspiring as saving human lives out of a love of humanity and as trifling as slowing the issuance of a report out of spite or anger." For example, of the more than 1,000 whistleblower complaints that are filed each year with the Pentagon's Inspector General , about 97 percent are not substantiated. It is believed throughout the professional world that an individual

3618-680: Is a central Garda technical bureau , a mounted unit and a canine unit . The service has its own college . Members of the Garda Síochána are not free to join general trade unions but are represented by four rank-based organisations; there is also an association for retired members of the force. The service was originally named the Civic Guard in English, but in 1923 it became the Garda Síochána in both English and Irish. This title has been maintained in recent legislation. This

3752-495: Is an armed unit. Unmarked patrol cars are also used in the course of regular, traffic and other duties. Specialist units, such as the ERU, use armoured vehicles for special operations. The Garda Fleet management Section manages the vehicles, totalling approximately 2,750 in 2019, which are located in the various Garda Divisions and specialist units. In the first week of November 2014, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald obtained

3886-419: Is bound to secrecy within their work sector. Discussions of whistleblowing and employee loyalty usually assume that the concept of loyalty is irrelevant to the issue or more commonly, that whistleblowing involves a moral choice that pits the loyalty that an employee owes an employer against the employee's responsibility to serve the public interest. Robert A. Larmer describes the standard view of whistleblowing in

4020-461: Is less likely. There are examples of "early warning scientists" being harassed for bringing inconvenient truths about impending harm to the notice of the public and authorities. There have also been cases of young scientists being discouraged from entering controversial scientific fields for fear of harassment . In order to help whistleblowers, private organizations have formed whistleblower legal defense funds or support groups. Examples include

4154-475: Is never acknowledged or rectified. In a few cases, however, harm is done by the whistleblower to innocent people. Whistleblowers can make unintentional mistakes, and investigations can be tainted by the fear of negative publicity. An example occurred in the Canadian health ministry , when a new employee wrongly concluded that nearly every research contract she saw in 2012 involved malfeasance. The end result

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4288-668: Is operationally independent of the Government, Department of Justice and the Policing Authority , is headed by the Garda Commissioner , whose immediate subordinates are two deputy commissioners – in charge of "Policing and Security" and "Governance & Strategy", respectively – and a Chief Administrative Officer with responsibility for resource management (personnel, finance, Information and Communications Technology, and accommodation). A few functions, including

4422-460: Is said to have coined the phrase in the early 1970s in order to avoid the negative connotations found in other words such as "informer" and "snitch". However, the origins of the word date back to the 19th century. The word is linked to the use of a whistle to alert the public or a crowd about such problems as the commission of a crime or the breaking of rules during a game. The phrase whistle blower attached itself to law enforcement officials in

4556-405: Is singular, in these terms it is used as a collective noun , like police . An individual officer is called a garda (plural gardaí ), or less formally, a "guard", and is typically addressed as such by members of the public when on duty. A police station is called a garda station . Garda is also the name of the lowest rank within the force (e.g. " Garda John Murphy", analogous to

4690-449: Is the main law enforcement and security agency in the state, acting at local and national levels. Its roles include crime detection and prevention, drug enforcement, road traffic enforcement and accident investigation, diplomatic and witness protection responsibilities; it also provides a community policing service. Special units exist for specific areas of work such as organised crime prevention, migration management and cyber crime, and there

4824-567: Is the most basic of ethical traits and simply telling the truth to stop illegal harmful activities or fraud against the government/taxpayers. In the opposite camp, many corporations and corporate or government leaders see whistleblowing as being disloyal for breaching confidentiality, especially in industries that handle sensitive client or patient information. Hundreds of laws grant protection to whistleblowers, but stipulations can easily cloud that protection and leave them vulnerable to retaliation and sometimes even threats and physical harm. However,

4958-596: Is to enhance public confidence in Canada's federal public institutions and in the integrity of public servants. Mandated by the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act , PSIC is a permanent and independent agent of Parliament . The act, which came into force in 2007, applies to most of the federal public sector , approximately 400,000 public servants . This includes government departments and agencies, parent Crown corporations,

5092-873: Is usually translated as "the Guardians of the Peace". Garda Síochána na hÉireann ("of Ireland", pronounced [ˈɡaːɾˠd̪ə ˈʃiːxaːn̪ˠə n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ] ) appears on its logo but is seldom used elsewhere. At that time, there was a vogue for naming the new institutions of the Irish Free State after counterparts in the French Third Republic ; the term "guardians of the peace" ( gardiens de la paix , literally 'peacekeepers') had been used since 1870 in French-speaking countries to designate civilian police forces as distinguished from

5226-453: The Journal of Business Ethics by explaining that an employee possesses prima facie (based on the first impression; accepted as correct until proved otherwise) duties of loyalty and confidentiality to their employers and that whistleblowing cannot be justified except on the basis of a higher duty to the public good . It is important to recognize that in any relationship which demands loyalty

5360-575: The Anglo-Irish War , while serving with the DMP. Broy was depicted in the film Michael Collins as having been arrested and killed by SIS agents during the Irish War of Independence , when in reality he lived till 1972 and headed the Garda Síochána from 1933 to 1938. Broy was followed by Commissioners Michael Kinnane (1938–52) and Daniel Costigan (1952–65). The first Commissioner to rise from

5494-443: The Garda Commissioner . The Commissioner is also protected by the unit. All cabinet ministers are afforded armed protection at heightened levels of risk when deemed necessary by Garda Intelligence , and their places of work and residences are monitored. Former Presidents and Taoisigh are protected if their security is under threat, otherwise they only receive protection on formal state occasions. The Emergency Response Unit (ERU),

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5628-591: The Lord Lieutenant in Dublin Castle . The Garda Síochána (Temporary Provisions) Act 1923 enacted after the creation of the Irish Free State on 8 August 1923, provided for the creation of "a force of police to be called and known as 'The Garda Síochána ' ". Under section 22, The Civic Guard were deemed to have been established under and to be governed by the Act. The law therefore effectively renamed

5762-864: The Minister for Justice . With limited training of 128 hours, these duties and powers must be executed under the supervision of regular members of the Service; they are also limited concerning those of regular members. The first batch of 36 Reserve Gardaí graduated on 15 December 2006 at the Garda College , in Templemore . Having reached a strength of over 1,100 in 2014, as of October 2016, there were 789 Garda Reserve members, with further training scheduled for 2017, however numbers have fallen since then, to under 460 as of 2021, and under 400 by 2023. A garda allocated to detective duties, up to and including

5896-563: The National Whistleblower Center in the United States and Whistleblowers UK and Public Concern at Work (PCaW) in the United Kingdom. Depending on the circumstances, it is not uncommon for whistleblowers to be ostracized by their coworkers, discriminated against by future potential employers, or even fired from their organization. A campaign directed at whistleblowers with the goal of eliminating them from

6030-475: The Oireachtas record, said the way the matter had been handled had "destroyed me, my career and my family". Shatter later wrongly accused McCabe of refusing to co-operate with his inquiry, a claim for which McCabe unsuccessfully sought an apology. Luke 'Ming' Flanagan , at the time a TD , suggested McCabe be appointed Callinan's successor as Garda Commissioner. On 31 October 2018, McCabe announced that he

6164-533: The Oriel House CID were killed or died of wounds during the Irish Civil War . The Garda Roll of Honor lists 89 Garda members killed between 1922 and 2020 . The first Commissioner, Michael Staines, who was a Pro-Treaty member of Dáil Éireann , held office for only eight months. It was his successors, Eoin O'Duffy and Éamon Broy , who played a central role in the development of

6298-489: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other federal public sector bodies. Not all disclosures lead to an investigation as the act sets out the jurisdiction of the commissioner and gives the option not to investigate under certain circumstances. On the other hand, if PSIC conducts an investigation and finds no wrongdoing was committed, the commissioner must report his findings to the discloser and to

6432-665: The United States Department of Labor (DOL) and laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the United States Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations (FSGO) that protect whistleblowers in the private sector. Thus, despite government efforts to help regulate the private sector, the employees must still weigh their options. They either expose the company and stand the moral and ethical high ground; or expose

6566-469: The "Sapin 2 Law") provides for the first time a single legal definition of whistleblowers in France. It defines him or her as " an individual who discloses or reports, in a disinterested manner and in good faith, a crime or an offence, a serious and manifest breach of an international commitment duly ratified or approved by France, a unilateral act of an international organization adopted on the basis of such

6700-403: The 1960s for people who revealed wrongdoing, such as Nader. It eventually evolved into the compound word whistleblower . Most whistleblowers are internal whistleblowers, who report misconduct on a fellow employee or superior within their company through anonymous reporting mechanisms often called hotlines . Within such situations, circumstances and factors can cause a person to either act on

6834-536: The 19th century because they used a whistle to alert the public or fellow police. Sports referees , who use a whistle to indicate an illegal or foul play , also were called whistle blowers. An 1883 story in Wisconsin's Janesville Gazette called a policeman who used his whistle to alert citizens about a riot a whistle blower , without the hyphen. By the year 1963, the phrase had become a hyphenated word, whistle-blower . The word began to be used by journalists in

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6968-621: The Armed Support Unit are trained in Sig Pistol, H&K MP7 Sub-machine gun, Taser and 40mm direct impact munitions (Less Lethal options)". In early April 2019, the Garda Representative Association called for 24-hour armed support units in every division across Ireland. In response, Minister Flanagan noted that "gardaí have had armed support for a long number of years. One of the great attributes of

7102-613: The British term " constable " or the American " officer ", " deputy ", " trooper ", etc.). A female officer was once officially referred to as a bangharda ( pronounced [ˈbˠanˠˌɣaːɾˠd̪ˠə] ; "female guard"; plural banghardaí ). This term was abolished in 1990, but is still used colloquially in place of the gender-neutral garda . Colloquially, as a slang or derogatory term, they are sometimes referred to in certain areas of Ireland as "the shades". The service, which

7236-512: The Chief Medical Officer, and the civilian executive directors, heading Information and Communications Technology, Finance and Services, Strategy and Transformation, Legal, and Human Resources and People Development. Directly subordinate to the assistant commissioners are approximately 40 chief superintendents , about half of whom supervise what are called divisions . Each division contains a number of districts, each commanded by

7370-783: The DMP. In Dublin , policing remained the responsibility of the DMP (founded 1836) until it merged with the Garda Síochána in 1925. Since then, the Garda has been the only civil police service in the state now known as Ireland. Other police forces with limited powers are the Military Police within the Irish Defence Forces , the Airport Police Service , and Dublin Harbour Police and Dún Laoghaire Harbour Police forces. The headquarters,

7504-852: The ERU. In December 2018, Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan provided updated specifics. "Training is provided by Firearms Instructors attached to the Garda College and the Emergency Response Unit under the control of the Director of Training, Garda College. ... there are approximately 2700 personnel that are currently authorised to carry firearms. This can increase to approx. 3500 depending on operational requirements. ... Members attached to regular units and Detective units are trained in handguns only, namely Smith & Wesson revolver, Sig Sauer & Walther semi-automatic pistol. Specialist Units such as Emergency Response Unit and

7638-763: The EU Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, Equality and the Rule of Law emphasized that ministries, as legal entities in the public sector, are also explicitly required to establish internal reporting channels for their employees. It provides equal rights for whistleblowers in the national security sector who challenge denial or removal of their security clearances . Also, whistleblowers are protected from criminal prosecution and corporate lawsuits for damages resulting from their whistleblowing and provided with psychological support for dealing with harassment stress. Good government observers have hailed

7772-461: The EU directive as setting "the global standard for best practice rights protecting freedom of speech where it counts the most—challenging abuses of power that betray the public trust ," according to the U.S.-based Government Accountability Project . They have noted, however, that ambiguities remain in the directive regarding application in some areas, such as "duty speech", that is, when employees report

7906-541: The English Misplaced Pages, this section emphasizes the English-speaking world and covers other regimes only insofar as they represent exceptionally greater or lesser protections. There are laws in a number of states. The former Australian intelligence officer known as Witness K , who provided evidence of Australia's controversial spying operation against the government of East Timor in 2004, face

8040-703: The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (referred to colloquially as the Garda Ombudsman or simply abbreviated to GSOC) replaces the earlier system of complaints (the Garda Síochána Complaints Board). Becoming fully operational on 9 May 2007, the commission is empowered to: The commission's first chairman was Kevin Haugh (a High Court Judge) who died in early 2009, shortly before his term of office

8174-635: The Office of Corporate Communications and the Internal Audit Section, report directly to the Commissioner's Office. There is an assistant commissioner for each of the four geographical regions, along with a number dealing with other national support functions. The four geographical Garda regions, each overseen by an assistant commissioner, are: At an equivalent or near-equivalent level to the assistant commissioners are such figures as

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8308-628: The Peace") is the national police and security service of Ireland . It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí ( pronounced [ˈɡaːɾˠd̪ˠiː] ; "Guardians") or " the Guards ". The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner , who is appointed by the Irish Government . Its headquarters are in Dublin 's Phoenix Park . Since the formation of the Garda Síochána in 1923, it has been

8442-588: The Phoenix Park Depot in Dublin, consists of a series of buildings; the first of these were occupied in 1839 by the new Constabulary. Over subsequent years, additional buildings were added, including a riding school, chapel, infirmary and cavalry barracks; all are now used for other purposes. The new Garda Síochána started to occupy the Depot in early 1923. The facility also included a training centre but that

8576-488: The Protected Disclosures Act 2014 and certain other matters following Resolutions) with an introductory statement on 27 February 2017. Public sittings commenced on 4 July 2017. The first week of this module examined the circumstances surrounding the creation of an incorrect sexual abuse report and whether it was seized upon by senior gardai to blacken Sergeant McCabe's name. At the end of November 2017,

8710-585: The [Garda Síochána], is the fact that it is in the main an unarmed police service. I think that's good and I would be concerned at attempts to ensure that the arming of the gardaí becomes commonplace." He did not support the GRA demands on a country-wide basis: "I think there is merit in ensuring that at a regional level, there can be an armed response should the circumstances warrant. And I'm thinking particularly in Drogheda where currently we have an armed support unit on

8844-653: The adverse post-operational effects, and complications of the surgery. Patients experienced severe health problems; several died post-surgery. The acts of Dr. Macchiarini led to the retractions of research articles from the Lancet , the termination of his academic positions, and criminal inquiries in Sweden. It also sparked concerns over the supervision and control of clinical trials utilizing experimental techniques. Individual harm, damage to public trust, and threats to national security are three categories of harm that may come as

8978-640: The approval of the Irish Cabinet for the General Scheme of the Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill 2014, intended to create a new independent policing authority, in what she described as the 'most far-reaching reform’ of the Garda Síochána since the State was founded in 1922. The draft bill proposed that state security would remain the responsibility of the Minister for Justice and outside the remit of

9112-432: The armed gendarmery , notably municipal police in France, communal guards in Belgium and cantonal police in Switzerland. The full official title of the police service is rarely used in speech. How it is referred to depends on the register being used. It is variously known as An Garda Síochána ; the Garda Síochána ; the Garda ; the Gardaí (plural); and it is popularly called "the guards". Although Garda

9246-966: The career destruction of the "complainant" by reporting fictitious errors or rumors. This technique, labelled as " gaslighting ", is a common approach used by organizations to manage employees who cause difficulty by raising concerns. In extreme cases, this technique involves the organization or manager proposing that the complainant's mental health is unstable. Organizations also often attempt to ostracize and isolate whistleblowers by undermining their concerns by suggesting that they are groundless, carrying out inadequate investigations, or ignoring them altogether. Whistleblowers may also be disciplined, suspended, and reported to professional bodies upon manufactured pretexts. Such extreme experiences of threat and loss inevitably cause severe distress and sometimes mental illness, sometimes lasting for years afterwards. This mistreatment also deters others from coming forward with concerns. Thus, poor practices remain hidden behind

9380-593: The company or to blow the whistle on the company's wrongdoing. Discussions on whistleblowing generally revolve around three topics: attempts to define whistleblowing more precisely, debates about whether and when whistleblowing is permissible, and debates about whether and when one has an obligation to blow the whistle. Many whistleblowers have stated that they were motivated to take action to put an end to unethical practices after witnessing injustices in their businesses or organizations. A 2009 study found that whistleblowers are often motivated to take action when they notice

9514-411: The company, lose their job, their reputation and potentially the ability to be employed again. According to a study at the University of Pennsylvania , out of three hundred whistleblowers studied, sixty-nine percent had foregone that exact situation and were either fired or forced to retire after taking the ethical high ground. It is outcomes like these that make it all that much harder to accurately track

9648-509: The day he was due to give deposition testimony as a whistleblower against aerospace company Boeing , and David Kelly , who was found dead two days after the UK parliamentary Intelligence and Security and Foreign Affairs Select Committees publicized that he would be called about the dubious claims used to convince the UK Parliament to vote to invade Iraq. U.S. civic activist Ralph Nader

9782-467: The decision and action has become far more complicated with recent advancements in technology and communication. The ethical implications of whistleblowing can be negative as well as positive. Some have argued that public sector whistleblowing plays an important role in the democratic process by resolving principal–agent problems . However, sometimes employees may blow the whistle as an act of revenge. Rosemary O'Leary explains this in her short volume on

9916-443: The emotional strain of a whistleblower investigation is devastating to the accused's family. Ethics is the set of moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior. Deeper questions and theories of whistleblowing and why people choose to do so can be studied through an ethical approach. Whistleblowing is a topic of several myths and inaccurate definitions. Leading arguments in the ideological camp maintain that whistleblowing

10050-439: The environment, but internal policies might pose threats of retaliation to those who report these early warnings. Private company employees in particular might be at risk of being fired, demoted, denied raises and so on for bringing environmental risks to the attention of appropriate authorities. Government employees could be at a similar risk for bringing threats to health or the environment to public attention, although perhaps this

10184-469: The eventual retraction of Dr. Burt’s work. Data manipulation is the changing or omitting of data or outcomes in such a way that the research is not accurately portrayed in the research record. Dr. Hwang Woo-Suk , a South Korean stem cell researcher gained international recognition for his groundbreaking work on cloning and stem cell research. Dr. Woo-Suk had a claim to successfully clone human embryos and derived patient-specific stem cell lines, forwarding

10318-869: The existing force. The seven-week Civic Guard Mutiny began in May 1922, when Garda recruits took over the Kildare Depot. It resulted in Michael Staines' resignation in September. During the Civil War of 1922–23, the new Free State set up the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as an armed, plain-clothed counter-insurgency unit. It was disbanded after the end of the war in October 1923 and elements of it were absorbed into

10452-447: The field of regenerative medicine which was published in the Journal of Science . Dr. Kim Seon-Jung expressed his concerns regarding the accuracy of the research data and the ethical conduct of the experiments. Independent committees, as well as journalists, scrutinized the research data and methodology leading to an eventual retraction of his work. Ethical violations can fall under the following: altering or making up new data to meet

10586-445: The fourth iteration of the Garda uniform was launched. It dispensed with formal shirts and ties, substituting a "sky blue" polo shirt, worn with loose-fitting "operational trousers", and a yellow-and-dark-navy waterproof jacket. A tie is available for formal occasions, and the Garda hat from previous versions of the uniform is retained. Alternative head and other coverings, such as the turban, kippah and hijab, are provided for. The uniform

10720-530: The good of society. People who choose to act as whistleblowers often suffer retaliation from their employer. They most likely are fired because they are an at-will employee , which means they can be fired without a reason. There are exceptions in place for whistleblowers who are at-will employees. Even without a statute, numerous decisions encourage and protect whistleblowing on grounds of public policy. Statutes state that an employer shall not take any adverse employment actions against any employee in retaliation for

10854-399: The government discussed the report at cabinet. Maurice McCabe, the whistleblower whose work prompted the report, spoke of feeling vindicated "after six years of fighting the system". McCabe's fellow whistleblower John Wilson described the contents of the report as "disgusting, truly disgusting". On 15 May 2014, during a Dáil debate on the issue, Pearse Doherty named Garda Keith Harrison as

10988-629: The government or regulating body can investigate them and hold corrupt companies and/or government agencies to account. To succeed, they must also persist in their efforts over what can often be years, in the face of extensive, coordinated and prolonged efforts that institutions can deploy to silence, discredit, isolate, and erode their financial and mental wellbeing. Whistleblowers have been likened to ‘Prophets at work’, but many lose their jobs, are victims of campaigns to discredit and isolate them, suffer financial and mental pressures, and some lose their lives. Such examples include John Barnett , who died on

11122-564: The government promised another commission of investigation into the 2017 allegations, to be chaired by Peter Charleton , a judge of the Supreme Court . McCabe demanded a Tribunal of Inquiry , which would take evidence in public rather than in private, and the government agreed to this after opposition pressure. Charleton formally opened the Disclosures Tribunal (Tribunal of Inquiry into protected disclosures made under

11256-649: The handling of the complaints found that McCabe was subjected to a smear campaign orchestrated by senior Garda officials, namely, Garda Press Officer Dave Taylor and former Commissioner Martin Callinan. The scandal had huge ramifications for both the Garda Siochana and the Irish government . It led to the resignation of Martin Callinan in March 2014, and Shatter from the Cabinet in May 2014. A new 'Policing Authority'

11390-468: The high regard in which Sgt McCabe was held. Ultimately the Garda Síochána does not seem to have been able to do that. Nor does the Minister for Justice and Equality, despite his having an independent supervisory and investigation function with specific statutory powers. The same appears true of GSOC (Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission), although this review is hampered in that regard by the fact that GSOC has not made documentation available." On 13 May 2014,

11524-476: The identity of the whistleblower, these services are designed to inform the individuals at the top of the organizational pyramid of misconduct, usually via integration with specialized case management software . Implementing a third-party solution is often the easiest way for an organization to promote compliance, or to offer a whistleblowing policy where one did not previously exist. An increasing number of companies and authorities use third-party services in which

11658-408: The incident properly and subsequently contacted the victim in the case. The victim was asked to withdraw the charges against the perpetrator. McCabe, who heard about this afterwards, was shocked and said that he had "never seen anything like it within the force". McCabe complained about the Garda Confidential Recipient system. This system, which was part of PULSE , a computer program used by the gardaí,

11792-440: The information, whistleblowers may report the misconduct to lawyers, the media, law enforcement or watchdog agencies , or other local, state, or federal agencies. In some cases, external whistleblowing is encouraged by offering monetary rewards. Sometimes organizations use external agencies to create a secure and anonymous reporting channel for their employees, often referred to as a whistleblowing hotline. In addition to protecting

11926-504: The investigation into the campaign against McCabe, and O'Sullivan resigned after the tribunal's findings were published. Frances Fitzgerald , a later Tánaiste , resigned over apparent mishandling of emails that discussed details of the scandal. She was later proven to have acted appropriately as Minister for Justice and Equality by the Charleton Tribunal . Maurice McCabe was a Garda Sergeant, who came to national attention as

12060-523: The latest whistleblower. On 9 February 2017, a report in the Irish Examiner , and a subsequent Prime Time special, revealed how Maurice McCabe was treated in the aftermath of the scandal, including when he was reported to Tusla , the Child and Family Agency, for child sexual abuse . This provoked outrage, with McCabe stating his intention to sue the State over the accusations. In February 2017,

12194-525: The matter adequately handled within the Garda Complaints System. He left the force the following year, having served for more than 30 years (since 1982). In 2013, Wilson brought a High Court challenge to findings that he breached Garda discipline, but lost. Wilson later approached Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Transport Minister Leo Varadkar, who passed details on to Justice Minister Alan Shatter. Shatter asked for an internal garda inquiry into

12328-690: The new authority. The first chairperson-designate of the new authority was the outgoing Revenue Commissioners chairperson Josephine Feehily. Under Section 115 of the Garda Síochána Act, the Garda Síochána Inspectorate consists of three members who are appointed by the Irish Government. The functions of the Inspectorate, inter alia , are as follows: The first Chief Inspector (since July 2006),

12462-692: The new state saw a gradual process of incorporating these various pre-existing forces into a single centralised, nationwide and civilian organisation. The Civic Guard was formed by the Provisional Government in February 1922 to take over the responsibility of policing the fledgeling Irish Free State. It replaced the RIC and the Irish Republican Police of 1919–22. In August 1922 the force accompanied Michael Collins when he met

12596-578: The number of hours gardaí were actually working. McCabe lodged multiple complaints about slipping police standards in Bailieborough and the lack of initiative of several gardaí. McCabe resigned as sergeant-in-charge of the station in January 2006 after an investigation into an assault in Crossan's Pub in the town was mishandled. The garda in charge of handling the situation had failed to investigate

12730-471: The organisation is structured as follows: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 provided for the establishment of a Garda Reserve to assist the force in performing its functions and supplement the work of members of the Garda Síochána. The intent of the Garda Reserve is "to be a source of local strength and knowledge". Reserve members are to carry out duties defined by the Garda Commissioner and sanctioned by

12864-421: The organization is referred to as mobbing . It is an extreme form of workplace bullying wherein the group is set against the targeted individual. There is limited research on the psychological impacts of whistle blowing. However, poor experiences with whistleblowing can cause a prolonged and prominent assault on the well-being of the whistleblower. As workers attempt to address concerns, they are often met with

12998-823: The organization's chief executive. Also, reports of founded wrongdoing are presented before the House of Commons and the Senate in accordance with the act. The act also established the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal (PSDPT) to protect public servants by hearing reprisal complaints referred by the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner . The tribunal can grant remedies in favour of complainants and order disciplinary action against persons who take reprisals. The European Parliament approved

13132-403: The other. Speaking out is difficult, especially in a culture where this is not promoted or even actively discouraged. Some academics (such as Thomas Faunce ) feel that whistleblowers should at least be entitled to a rebuttable presumption that they are attempting to apply ethical principles in the face of obstacles and that whistleblowing would be more respected in governance systems if it had

13266-400: The patient’s own stem cells. The goal was that the stem cells would eventually provide the patient with a suitable replacement trachea. Dr. Karl-Henrik Grinnemo, a member of Dr. Machiarini’s research team, raised concerns about the accuracy of the reported results and the ethical conduct of the experiments. Dr. Macchiarini’s ethical violations include exaggeration of success, failure to disclose

13400-439: The penalty points complaints, with Assistant Commissioner John O'Mahoney failing to even interview Wilson. Wilson has recommended no tribunal, but has called for an independent public inquiry, suggesting, "Maybe an independent High Court judge; I would settle for that." He has asked that motorists who benefited from the alleged "corruption of gardaí" be interviewed. He also called for an apology from Shatter (who later resigned over

13534-595: The people." This reflected the approach in the Dublin Metropolitan Police , which had also been unarmed, but did not extend to the CID detective branch , who were armed from the outset. According to Tom Garvin such a decision gave the new force a cultural ace: "the taboo on killing unarmed men and women who could not reasonably be seen as spies and informers". The Garda Síochána is primarily an unarmed force; however, detectives and certain units such as

13668-402: The police and was critical of the treatment of whistleblower McCabe, who was harassed and subjected to death threats after attempting to disclose information. Alan Shatter resigned as Minister for Justice and Equality in advance of its publication. His successor Frances Fitzgerald immediately announced the establishment of a Commission of Investigation . Guerin recommended the establishment of

13802-543: The possibility of jail if convicted. Whistleblowers Australia is an association for those who have exposed corruption or any form of malpractice, especially if they were then hindered or abused. The Public Sector Integrity Commissioner (PSIC) provides a safe and confidential mechanism enabling public servants and the general public to disclose wrongdoings committed in the public sector. It also protects from reprisal public servants who have disclosed wrongdoing and those who have cooperated in investigations. The office's goal

13936-505: The prevalence of whistleblowing in the private sector. Public sector whistleblowing is connected to the concept of public service motivation , where a public servant's altruistic alignment to the people or communities they service overrides their adherence to their employer's rules. This connection has been demonstrated by research in many different countries, including the Poland, Thailand and United States of America. Recognition of

14070-402: The rank of chief superintendent, is a detective and the word detective ( Irish : Bleachtaire ) is prefixed to their rank (e.g. detective sergeant, bleachtaire sáirsint ). The detective moniker is not a rank but rather a role identification, a detective Garda and a Garda are the same rank. As of 31 December 2022, 2,401 Gardaí were on Detective duty, about one-sixth of the total. In 2022,

14204-589: The regional Armed Support Units (ASU) and the national Emergency Response Unit (ERU) are commissioned to carry firearms and do so. A website managed by the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa notes that there are "no specific legal provisions on use of firearms by the Gardaí, which is predominantly an unarmed police service. Instead, the law provides an exemption from licensing requirements under

14338-409: The relationship works both ways and involves mutual enrichment. The ethics of Edward Snowden's actions have been widely discussed and debated in news media and academia worldwide. Snowden released classified intelligence to the American people in an attempt to allow Americans to see the inner workings of the government. A person is diligently tasked with the conundrum of choosing to be loyal to

14472-656: The role of the Défenseur des droits - the French ombudsman - tasked with advising and protecting whistleblowers. The second amends the Sapin 2 law to bring it into line with the directive and adds substantial guarantees not included in the directive among which: Garda S%C3%ADoch%C3%A1na The Garda Síochána ( Irish pronunciation: [ənˠ ˈɡaːɾˠd̪ˠə ˈʃiːxaːn̪ˠə] ; meaning "the Guardian(s) of

14606-401: The same information in the course of a job assignment, for example, to a supervisor, instead of whistleblowing as formal dissent . In fact, duty speech is how the overwhelming majority of whistleblowing information gets communicated and where the free flow of information is needed for an organization's proper functioning. However it is in response to such "duty speech" employee communication that

14740-608: The scandal) and from Kenny, saying that Shatter and Callinan "ridiculed" him for his actions. In response to growing concern at mismanagement within the Garda Síochána arising from the whistleblower's allegations, the Guerin Report into corruption within the force was published on 9 May 2014. This looked only at issues raised by the serving garda, Sergeant Maurice McCabe. The report, compiled by Sean Guerin SC, investigated allegations that serious crimes were improperly investigated by

14874-404: The second interim report of the Disclosures Tribunal found that claims by Garda Keith Harrison and his partner Marisa Simms were "entirely without any validity", that their allegations against social workers and police had "simply collapsed", and that social workers accused of abuse of office by them were "entitled to feel deeply upset at being targeted with such allegations". Garda Harrison said he

15008-680: The service are students, whose duties can vary depending on their training progress. They are often assigned clerical duties as part of their extracurricular studies. The Garda organisation also has more than 3,000 civilian support staff (not sworn police officers). working across a range of areas such as human resources, occupational health services, finance and procurement, internal audit, IT and telecommunications, accommodation and fleet management, as well as aspects of scene-of-crime support, research and analysis, training and general administration. The figure also includes industrial staff such as traffic wardens, drivers and cleaners. As of September 2023,

15142-559: The service. O'Duffy was Commissioner in the early years of the service when to many people's surprise the viability of an unarmed police service was established. O'Duffy later became a short-lived political leader of the quasi-fascist Blueshirts before heading to Spain to fight alongside Francisco Franco 's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War . Broy had greatly assisted the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during

15276-453: The spot to prevent/stop illegal and unacceptable behavior, or report it. There are some reasons to believe that people are more likely to take action with respect to unacceptable behavior, within an organization, if there are complaint systems that offer not just options dictated by the planning and control organization, but a choice of options for absolute confidentiality. Anonymous reporting mechanisms, as mentioned previously, help foster

15410-408: The street in order to meet head-on what is a particularly nasty challenge." Garda patrol cars are white in colour, with a fluorescent yellow and blue battenberg type marking, accompanied by the Garda crest as livery. Full or partial battenburg markings are used on traffic or roads policing vehicles. RSU/ASU vehicles also have Battenburg markings - as well as a red stripe denoting the fact that it

15544-813: The value of public sector whistleblowing has been growing over the last 50 years. Many jurisdictions have passed legislation to protect public service whistleblowing in part as a way to address unethical behaviour and corruption within public service agencies. In the United States, for example, both state and Federal statutes have been put in place to protect whistleblowers from retaliation. The United States Supreme Court ruled that public sector whistleblowers are protected from retaliation by their First Amendment rights. After many federal whistleblowers were covered in high-profile media cases, laws were finally introduced to protect government whistleblowers. These laws were enacted to help prevent corruption and encourage people to expose misconduct, illegal, or dishonest activity for

15678-613: The various Firearms Acts for a member of the Garda Síochána when on duty". The armed officers serve as a support to regular Gardaí. Armed units were established in response to a rise in the number of armed incidents dealt with by regular members. To be issued with a firearm, or to carry a firearm whilst on duty, a member must be in possession of a valid gun card, and cannot wear a regular uniform. Armed Gardaí carry SIG Sauer P226 and Walther P99 C semi-automatic pistols . In addition to issued pistols, less-lethal weapons such as tasers and large pepper spray canisters are carried also by

15812-648: The vast majority of retaliation against employees occurs. These observers have noted that the Directive must be understood as applying to protection against retaliation for such duty speech because without such an understanding the Directive will "miss the iceberg of what's needed". In France , several recent laws have established a protection regime for whistleblowers. Prior to 2016, there were several laws in force which created disparate legislation with sector-specific regimes. The 2016 law on transparency, fight against corruption and modernization of economic life (known as

15946-602: The whistle to uphold the values and rules of their organizations. Legal protection for whistleblowers varies from country to country and may depend on the country of the original activity, where and how secrets were revealed, and how they eventually became published or publicized. Over a dozen countries have now adopted comprehensive whistleblower protection laws that create mechanisms for reporting wrongdoing and provide legal protections. Over 50 countries have adopted more limited protections as part of their anti-corruption, freedom of information, or employment laws. For purposes of

16080-403: The whistleblower is also anonymous to the third-party service provider, which is made possible via toll-free phone numbers and/or web or app-based solutions that apply asymmetrical encryption . Private sector whistleblowing is arguably more prevalent and suppressed in society today. An example of private sector whistleblowing is when an employee reports to someone in a higher position such as

16214-471: The widow of Jerry McCabe, a garda who was killed by armed Provisional IRA bank robbers – accepted the Scott Medal for Bravery that had been awarded posthumously to her husband. The Irish Republican Police had at least one member killed by the RIC on 21 July 1920. The Civic Guard had one killed by accident 22 September 1922 and another was killed in March 1923 by Frank Teeling . Likewise 4 members of

16348-560: Was Garda James Mulroy . Other notable recipients include Garda Patrick Malone of St. Luke's in Cork City who – as an unarmed Garda – disarmed Tomás Óg Mac Curtain (the son of Tomás Mac Curtain ). To mark the United States link, the American English spelling of valor is used on the medal. The Garda Commissioner chooses the recipients of the medal, which is presented by the Minister for Justice. In 2000, Anne McCabe –

16482-485: Was appointed a second member of the tribunal. Whistleblowers Whistleblowing (also whistle-blowing or whistle blowing ) is the activity of a person, often an employee, revealing information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whistleblowers can use a variety of internal or external channels to communicate information or allegations. Over 83% of whistleblowers report internally to

16616-694: Was armed, but the Provisional Government reversed the decision and reconstituted the service as an unarmed police service. This was in contrast to the attitude of the British Dublin Castle administration , which refused appeals from the Royal Irish Constabulary that the service be disarmed. In the words of first Commissioner, Michael Staines , TD , "the Garda Síochána will succeed not by force of arms or numbers, but on their moral authority as servants of

16750-400: Was basing his research on. Dr. Gillies's inquiry revealed that there were discrepancies to Dr. Burt’s work with inconsistencies in the twin's birth dates  particularly with the absence of records for twins to participate in the study, the falsification of data, and the “invention of crucial facts to support his controversial theory that intelligence is largely inherited.”   This led to

16884-487: Was disappointed but not surprised by the findings. On 11 October 2018, the third interim report of the Tribunal was released by Judge Peter Charleton . It vindicated Sergeant McCabe, former Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan and former Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald . It severely criticised former Commissioner Martin Callinan and former Garda press officer, Superintendent David Taylor. In November 2018, Sean Ryan

17018-495: Was established to ensure that scandal within the Garda Síochána remained at a minimum and that the Government could have more involvement with the daily operations of the organisation. The Irish government also pledged to launch a "new era of policing". Enda Kenny , who was Taoiseach for the majority of the scandal, apologised in Dáil Éireann for the damage caused to Maurice McCabe by Garda officials. The Disclosures Tribunal continued

17152-578: Was for force members of the ranks of Garda, sergeant and inspector, with no change for those of superintendent rank or above. The original Garda uniform featured a high "night helmet" and cape, as was then used in the UK. There were changes to colouration of both fabric and buttons in 1987. Most uniformed members of the Garda Síochána do not routinely carry firearms . Individual gardaí have been issued ASP extendable batons and pepper spray as their standard issue weapons while handcuffs are provided as restraints. The service, when originally created,

17286-775: Was former Commissioner of Boston Police , Kathleen M. O'Toole . She reported directly to the Minister for Justice. From 2006 to 2009, O'Toole was supported by two other inspectors, Robert Olsen and Gwen M. Boniface . Olsen was Chief of Police for 8 years of the Minneapolis Police Department. Boniface is a former Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police and was one of 3 female police commissioners in Canada when appointed in May 1998. She suggested that rank and file Gardaí were not equipped to perform their duties or protect themselves properly. She also suggested that routine arming may become

17420-625: Was moved to McCan Barracks , Templemore, County Tipperary in the 1960s; it is now the Garda Síochána College. First awarded in 1923, the Scott Medal for Bravery is the highest honour for bravery and valour awarded to a member of the Garda Síochána. The first medals were funded by Colonel Walter Scott, an honorary Commissioner of the New York Police Department . The first recipient of the Scott Medal

17554-685: Was restricted from Maurice McCabe on 14 December 2012. Two senior gardaí travelled from Westmeath to his home in Cavan to communicate this to the Sergeant - an action that was previously unheard of within the force. McCabe later approached Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Transport Minister Leo Varadkar , who passed details on to Justice Minister Alan Shatter . Shatter asked for an internal garda inquiry into complaints relating to driving licence penalty points, with Assistant Commissioner John O'Mahoney failing to even interview McCabe. A letter from McCabe, read onto

17688-472: Was retiring from the Garda Síochána that night. John Wilson (born 17 April 1963) is a former garda , recognised for blowing the whistle on irregularities within the penalty points system for driving offences. Wilson first brought information of Garda penalty points malpractice to the attention of members of Dáil Éireann under the Garda Siochána Act 2005 in 2012, having been unable to have

17822-740: Was the sudden firing of seven people, false and public threats of a criminal investigation, and the death of one researcher by suicide. The government ultimately paid the victims millions of dollars for lost pay, slander, and other harms, in addition to CA $ 2.41 million spent on the subsequent 2015 investigation into the false charges. Whistleblowers are seen by some as selfless martyrs for public interest and organizational accountability; others view them as "traitors" or "defectors". Some even accuse them of solely pursuing personal glory and fame, or view their behavior as motivated by greed in qui tam cases. Culturally it still has connotations of betrayal, from 'snitching' at one level to 'denunciations' at

17956-574: Was to conclude. The Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU) are primarily responsible for providing armed close protection to senior officials in Ireland. They provide full-time armed protection and transport for the President , Taoiseach , Tánaiste , Minister for Justice , Attorney General , Chief Justice , Director of Public Prosecutions , ambassadors and diplomats deemed 'at risk', as well as foreign dignitaries visiting Ireland and citizens deemed to require armed protection as designated so by

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