Irish Accounting Body Calls For ‘Whistleblower’s Charter’

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

06 May 2005

In a report released on Thursday, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland has highlighted the need for a new common and consistent framework for statutory reporting obligations for auditors, accountants and other professionals.

The ICAI request is made in an Institute report published today entitled ‘The ‘whistleblowing’ obligations of accountants in the Republic of Ireland’.

Currently auditors, accountants and solicitors face reporting obligations under tax, company and criminal law. In addition, there are reporting obligations to regulatory bodies like IFSRA not dealt with directly in statute law.

Commenting on the issue, outgoing ICAI President, Terence O’Rourke explained:

“The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland expects its members to play their part in upholding the law. However, our members are entitled to expect that the legal obligations imposed on them by Government are clear and consistent.

"That is certainly not the case at the moment. The problems that exist at the moment include: different thresholds of proof or certainty that must be met before the duty to report is triggered; absence of a standard framework for reporting; multiplicity of reporting bodies; conflicting requirements of Government bodies.

"Undoubtedly many of these problems exist because these reporting obligations have been put together in an ad hoc fashion over time. However, the difficulties they cause auditors and accountants in their day to day working environment are considerable.

"Clearly we need to work towards a general framework for professional ‘whistleblowing’ and to review their impact on the business and professional services sector. Such a framework which can be worked out with Government agencies would provide the consistency and commonality that will make the lives of practitioners and regulators easier.

"Government is committed to reducing the regulatory burden on business. In many cases this may not involve repealing existing legislation, merely the adoption of a common sense approach which is fair and reasonable.”

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