The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is set to discuss the use of non-disclosure agreements at its four-day General Assembly in Belfast this week. A report circulated ahead of the gathering, which brings together elders and ministers from over 500 congregations, acknowledges a public perception that compromise agreements can be used to silence former staff.

The debate follows the resignation of Moderator Rev Trevor Gribben in November, after an internal review uncovered what were described as serious and significant failings in central safeguarding functions for children and vulnerable adults between 2009 and 2022. Police have received 101 referrals for investigation, and the Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry.

The General Assembly's Annual Report contains a submission from the church's Compromise Agreements Task Group, made up of senior leadership. It states that non-disclosure agreements are often included in compromise agreements presented to employees departing under contested circumstances. Such agreements are intended to keep settlement amounts, terms, and the background to a departure confidential.

The task group's report notes that the arrangements are typically used on legal and insurance advice. It also addresses the example of the Post Office Horizon scandal, where the widespread use of NDAs has been cited as evidence of covering up wrongdoing. The church report argues that those NDAs did not override statutory whistleblowing protections, though it acknowledges the affected postmasters were unaware of this.

A church spokesman confirmed that the assembly will be asked to approve an Employee Compromise Policy stating NDAs would only be applied in limited circumstances. He added that the matters would be debated publicly on Thursday. According to the spokesman, over the past five years 650 individuals have left church employment, but only nine have been asked to sign compromise agreements that could contain NDAs.