Tynwald members have questioned why the Civil Aviation Authority directed a whistleblower back to the very department they were raising concerns about.
Gary Clueit MLC told the Select Committee on whistleblowing of a case where an airport employee reported a serious safety issue to the CAA.
“The CAA’s response is for that recommendation for them to raise a whistleblowing case, which then comes to the Department of Infrastructure,” Mr Clueit said.
“I don’t understand that, Mr Robinson. You stated that obviously if it’s health and safety issue around the airport, the CAA should take care of it.”
Jeffrey Robinson, deputy chief officer, said he could not speak to any particular case.
However, the exchange highlighted tensions over the role of “prescribed persons”, external regulators authorised to receive whistleblowing disclosures under employment legislation.
Obligations
Committee members pressed on whether such bodies understand their obligations.
Julie Edge MHK asked: “Do you think they understand their role as a prescribed person?”
Mr Robinson said regulators like the health and safety inspectorate “will not walk away and leave a safety concern”.
“I have had conversations with people in the CAA,” he said. “Everybody involved in the process, including at the airport, absolutely, fundamentally, their first concern is health and safety.”
He added: “Nothing, from my experience, has been ignored. It has always been considered dealt with, perhaps not always to the person’s satisfaction, but nothing has been ignored.”
Helen Goldie, the department’s whistleblowing officer, confirmed that if an employee reports directly to a prescribed person, she would not find out about it.
Mr Robinson added that his observation over recent years was that “everybody involved in the process, including at the airport, absolutely, fundamentally, their first concern is health and safety”.
“Nothing, from my experience, has been ignored,” he said.
Source: Manx News, 16 February 2026
