Transparency International Ireland is calling on local authorities to improve their procedures when dealing with whistleblower complaints.
It comes as The Irish Examiner reports that Waterford Council's CEO Michael Walsh met a complainant in 2018 about Waterford Area Partnership (WAP).
However, Walsh told The Irish Examiner the meeting was not a protected disclosure and said this was confirmed with the alleged whistleblower.
A Department of Rural and Community Development report recently recommended for WAP to be wound up and it is currently the subject of investigations by gardaí and Revenue.
John Devitt is Chief Executive of Transparency International Ireland. He said: "There are certain issues or factors that anyone who is receiving a concern needs to consider, particularly if the worker is raising a concern about 'wrongdoing'. Wrongdoing is defined in legislation because it can be considered later on as a protected disclosure.
"If a senior official has enough information to make further inquiries, they should do so. They should undertake an assessment and that assessment may lead to an investigation."
Councils have a legal obligation to take an act on information disclosed by a complainant, according to Devitt.
"Local authorities are also defined as prescribed persons under the protected disclosure act. They also have a legal obligation to take and act on concerns received from whistleblowers related to wrongdoing in agencies that might be funded by that local authority.
"It's also important that local authorities advertise the fact that they're happy to receive protective disclosures which would make it easier for people to report."
