Dr. Frances Finnegan lectured in Social History in Waterford Institute of Technology in the 1990’s. She made the complaint about the material being used by Dr. Niall McElwee in WIT. Students were distressed by the material including arts students who were taking some of the lectures and would not be working in the social care area and indeed had no vetting. Her complaint caused her huge amounts of personal stress and upon a return to work 10 months following her initial complaint (and that of other lecturers) she found the material was still be used. Dr. Finnegan spoke to RTE’s News at One this afternoon and you can hear the interview here. (Waterford IT Complaint against McElwee Confirmed – 16th July 2007).

Whistleblowers have no protection in Ireland – another issue to arise from this case.