Mattie McGrath demands probe into health whistleblower claims

I wish to highlight the vital importance of whistleblowers in our health system and to call for immediate government action in light of alarming protected disclosures that have been made by qualified healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical researchers regarding health policy, regulatory failures and COVID-era interventions. This disclosure made in accordance with the Predicted Disclosures Act raises profoundly serious concerns, concerns which, if true, strike at the heart of the patient's safety, medical ethics and public accountability. The issues raised involved alleged misuse of the in-the-blow protocols, failures in vaccine safety oversight and potentially criminal levels of regulatory in action. I am not here to make allegations against named individuals to prejudge outcomes, but I am here to demand that the processes for handling protective disclosures, especially in healthcare sector, be urgently and transparently reformed. What this whistleblower and others like him are telling us is that protective disclosures are not being properly assessed, regulators and ministers are failing in their statutory duty to investigate. Disclosures supported by data, FOI evidence and peer-reviewed signs are being ignored, misdirected and stonewalled. There is no independent oversight ensuring disclosures lead to timely, fair investigations, especially when those disclosures involve state policy or powerful institutions. That is an intolerable state of affairs in a functioning democracy, Minister. Cahill and whistleblowers run the risk of their livelihoods, reputations and sometimes their pest and safety to uphold the public interest. Yet, instead of being protected, they are often discredited, sidelined and punished. We must ask ourselves, is our protected disclosures act fit for purpose, when disclosures of this gravity, involving potential loss of life, and systemic health failures are effectively ignored. I am calling on the Minister for Health, the Minister for Justice and on Taoiseach, to confirm whether they have reviewed this particular protected disclosure, never do commit to an independent statutory investigation into the core issues raised and never do overhaul the protected disclosure system to include a centralised triage mechanism with timelines and enforcement powers. I was even in Cahill ensure that the health-related whistleblowers are never again left in limbo, while their disclosures gather dust in ministerial inboxes or shelves somewhere. We are facing a moment of truth here, Minister. A whistleblower has come forward with grave claims, supported by evidence, and the system must prove it can be trusted to act. If we fail to protect the truth-tellers in our health system, then we fail every citizen who depends on it. Minister, the disclosures submitted by a pharmacist and indeed a pharmacist, among other matters, include strong evidence of the inappropriate and potentially lethal administration of the so-called end-of-life protocols in nursing homes during the first wave of COVID, protocols which may have directly contributed to hundreds, if not thousands, of inviolable deaths. And the last talk that was talking about the number of people in nursing homes and the age profile, and they are of an age profile, and they must be protected, and they weren't protected and haven't been protected, but now that this whistleblower and others have come forward, they need to be robust and responsible in dealing with those whistleblowers and have the matters investigated at the highest level and have them respected for what they are when they come from professions for peer-reviewed and FOI evidence. Thank you. Thank you, Cian Corla. I would like to start by thanking Deputy McGrath for raising this matter in the House this evening. I am taking this topic of issue debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carol MacNeill. As Deputy McGrath is aware, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, is the lead Department on Protective Disclosure Legislation and provides guidance for all Protective Disclosure processes and guidance. Section 21 of the Protective Disclosure Act 2014 in Ireland empowers the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, to issue guidance to public bodies to assist them in fulfilling their response under the Act. This guidance aims to help public bodies establish and maintain effective procedures and in protective disclosures. The Minister for Public Expenditure and NDP Delivery and Reform, may also issue guidance in respect of the information that must be published setting out how disclosures may be made to the Minister of the Government or Minister of State. The guidance is issued with the aim of assisting the persons referred to when establishing and maintaining reporting challenges and procedures for the making of protective disclosures and for dealing with such reports disclosures referred to in this guidance as procedures. Section 21 of the Act provides that the persons referred to above shall have regard to this and the guidance when establishing and maintaining such procedures. This means that while the channels and procedures should be tailored according to specific business needs of the organisation concerned, there should be in general conformity with the principles set out in this guidance. The Department of Health encourages all staff to speak up about concerns they may have about potential wrongdoings in the workplace. The Department have established procedures for the making of protective disclosures via our internal or external channels. All reports received are forwarded to the Office of the Protective Disclosures Commissioner. This ensures all reports of alleged wrongdoing are dealt with in a fair and transparent manner by the most appropriate prescribed person, other suitable person. Reports received in the Department of Treaties seriously investigated where appropriate. The Protected Disclosures Act requires that the identity of the whistleblower is protected and remains confidential to the greatest extent possible. Whistleblowers are informed on how their concerns are addressed in the outcome of any investigation. Whistleblowers are protected from penalisation should not fear making a disclosure. The Department of Health is committed to ensuring all staff members feel that they can safely make reports of any alleged wrongdoing. Dr McGrath? Dr McGrath. The Minister of Health is not here, but we have a good record in this country of respecting whistleblowers, and that goes without saying. Minister, as I said, the inappropriate and potentially lethal administration of the so-called end-of-life protocols in nursing homes during the first wave of COVID protocols, which may have directly contributed to hundreds, if not thousands, of evitable deaths. That is a stack of figures, not my figures, from a professional that is well versed and understands the medical situations regarding the pharmaceutical components. The failure of the HPRA and the PSI to act on credible evidence regarding the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines, including serious manufacturing and safety issues, procedures, and the intentional suppression of informed consent by the HPRA. The HPRA was informed of cDNA contamination in vaccines, but did not investigate. Did not investigate. A systemic failure of the protected disclosure process itself, including, as I said, ministerial level stonewalling of urgent safety data, resulting in zero investigations into serious allegations involving a viable death, medical misconduct, and regulatory malpractice. Minister, it is no longer credible to delay. I am asking you, here in the now, will you commit to commissioning an independent public inquiry into the contents of this protected disclosure? Will you direct the HPRA and the PSI and the Department of Health to respond substantively and transparently to the evidence submitted? Will you ensure the rights of this whistleblower are protected and that no further retaliation or obstruction occurs? There is credible evidence of a large-scale harem cover-up and failure to act. Lives have been already lost. We have a constitutional, legal and moral duty to investigate these allegations fully and transparently. I am begging you to bring this to the Minister and act on this immediately. Ara, can Craigney? Once again, on behalf of the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carmack-Neill, who I am taking this debate on behalf of, I would like to thank Deputy Ray again for raising this matter. The Department of Health encourages all staff to speak up and raise any concerns they may have relating to potential wrong-goings in the workplace. The Department provides the necessary support for any staff member who raises any possible wrong-doings. A staff member who makes a protected disorder, under protected disorder act, protected from penalisation or threatened penalisation. The Department has established procedures for the making of protected disclosures by workers who are well employed by the Department for dealing with such disclosures. These procedures have been developed in accordance with the guidance issued by the Department of Public Experience Reform. The Department has both internal and external challenges available for receiving reports of wrong-doing and details of how to make these reports and challenges published on the Department's website. In accordance with the protected disclosures amendment act, we are continuing to do all reports received via the channel forward to the Office of the Predicted Disclosures Commission. The Commissioner ensures that the report to the submission of the most appropriate described person or suitable persons to deal with. These measures ensure that all reports received were considered in penalty with transparency and partiality. It is also possible for whispers to make the report directly to the Commissioner if they wish to do so. Where a report is received for assessment, the concern is treated seriously and investigated where it is considered appropriate. When an investigation takes place, the identity of the person raising the concern is protected and made it confidential to the greatest extent possible is required under the Protected Disclosures Act. The person raising the concern would be advised to how the issue has been addressed, including the outcomes in the investigation. Whispers played an important role in revealing serious misconduct such as corruption, unsafe work practices or public health threats. The improved accountability, transparency and fostering a culture by serious ongoing is not tolerated. As such, whistleblowers are picked under the Act for penalisation, including dismissal, the emotional disciplinary action and reputational damage. The Department of Health takes these obligations very seriously and is going to ensure all staff members feel that they can make the reports, but it is wrong done without fear of penalisation. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister and obviously these are matters that I will bring to her attention.