A senior civil servant in the North is to be paid £50,000 (€75,530) after revealing an alleged mismanagement in the running of one of the main cross-Border agencies set up under the Belfast Agreement.
Waterways Ireland yesterday agreed to pay its former corporate services director Brian McTeggart (52), from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, who was sacked after lodging complaints about the recruitment to senior positions.
The compensation was agreed at an industrial tribunal in Belfast without an admission of liability against his former employers.
A jubilant Mr McTeggart said last night: "The scale of this settlement sends a potent message to those who would attempt to silence people who expose irregularities, malpractice and failures in governance."
Mr McTeggart, who is now back working with the North's Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, claimed breach of contract and that he should have been protected under public interest disclosure after launching his whistleblowing case.
He joined Waterways Ireland - which manages, maintains, develops and restores inland waterways across the island - in February 2000, and later made allegations concerning senior appointments, bullying and management of the organisation.
A failure of leadership, patronage, political influence from the Republic and malpractice of appointments were also alleged.
This set in motion an investigation involving government officials on both sides of the border, which lasted almost two years.
Mr McTeggart was told his job offer, which he could not formally take up due to the probe, had been withdrawn in March 2005.
A High Court action he has taken against Waterways Ireland and the department is ongoing.
Following negotiations the cross-Border agency agreed to pay Mr McTeggart more than €75,000 within four weeks.
He said afterwards: "This substantial settlement recognises that I made a valid public interest disclosure about major malpractice, corruption and mismanagement in Waterways Ireland and it confirms that I was justified in raising my concerns about major irregularities in senior appointments and other wrongdoings in the body." No one from Waterways Ireland was available for comment. - (PA)