Protected disclosures

The Health Insurance Authority (HIA) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of openness, integrity and accountability.

The Protected Disclosures Act 2014, as amended by the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022, provides protections for workers who report information about relevant wrongdoings obtained in a work‑related context.

A protected disclosure (sometimes referred to as "whistleblowing") is a disclosure of relevant information which, in the reasonable belief of the reporting person, tends to show one or more relevant wrongdoings.

Examples of relevant wrongdoings may include:

• The commission of an offence
• Failure to comply with a legal obligation
• Misuse of public funds
• Gross mismanagement by a public body
• Endangerment of health and safety
• Damage to the environment
• Concealment or destruction of information relating to any such wrongdoing

Internal Protected Disclosures

Workers of the HIA, including employees, contractors, agency staff, trainees, board members and former workers, may make a protected disclosure concerning matters arising within the HIA through the HIA’s internal protected disclosures procedures.

Protected disclosures by HIA workers should be made in accordance with the HIA Protected Disclosures Policy. 

Protected disclosures may be submitted:

• By email to: protecteddisclosure@hia.ie
• By post to:
  The Registrar / Chief Executive
  Private and Confidential
  The Health Insurance Authority
  Beaux Lane House, Mercer Street Lower
  Dublin 2, D02 DH60
• Orally, including by telephone or by requesting an in‑person meeting

The HIA will acknowledge receipt of a protected disclosure within 7 days (unless otherwise requested by the reporting person or where doing so may jeopardise the protection of identity) and will handle all disclosures in accordance with the requirements of the legislation.

External Protected Disclosures to the HIA as a Prescribed Person

The HIA is prescribed under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 (Disclosure to Prescribed Persons) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 367 of 2020).

Workers external to the HIA may make a protected disclosure to the HIA where:

• The disclosure relates to matters falling within the HIA’s statutory functions and remit
• The reporting person reasonably believes that the information disclosed, and any allegation contained in it, are substantially true

The HIA’s functions include matters relating to the regulation of the private health insurance market in Ireland under the Health Insurance Acts.

External protected disclosures to the HIA may be submitted:

• By email to: protecteddisclosure@hia.ie
• By post to:
  The Registrar / Chief Executive
  Private and Confidential
  The Health Insurance Authority
  Beaux Lane House, Mercer Street Lower
  Dublin 2, D02 DH60
• Orally, including by telephone or by requesting an in‑person meeting

The HIA is committed to protecting the identity of reporting persons and to handling protected disclosures in a confidential and secure manner in accordance with the legislation.

Workers who make protected disclosures are protected by law from penalisation for having made a protected disclosure.

Further Information

Further information on protected disclosures and prescribed persons is available from:

• The Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation
• The Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner
• Transparency International Ireland (Speak Up Helpline)