Six whistleblower claims at asylum centres last year, as watchdog warns on lack of inspections

Independent.ie - 11:54
Six whistleblowers made allegations of possible wrongdoing in international protection centres last year, as the ombudsman for protected disclosures raised concerns about a lack of inspections of asylum seeker accommodation.

The “strain” on the State’s accommodation system for asylum seekers was flagged in the annual report of the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner (OPDC), which was published on Wednesday.

The whistleblower watchdog received 262 reports of alleged wrongdoing in 2024, compared to 283 in 2023. The majority of these, 247, were sent to what is known as a ‘prescribed person’ - a person designated under whistleblower law to handle an allegation of wrongdoing for a specific sector. Nine were handled by the OPDC.

The health sector accounted for most complaints, with 59 allegations being made about workplaces including hospitals, care homes, disability services and the HSE itself.

Complaints about the education sector made up 39 of the reports received in 2024, with 15 allegations being made against education and training boards. It was closely ...
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