Courts / Ireland / Report

Claim by CAB staff for increased allowance is dismissed

Summary

In a High Court decision on 31 May 2019, Mr Justice Senan Allen dismissed claims by five Criminal Asset Bureau (CAB) staff who sought the €19,000‑per‑year allowance paid to non‑Garda CAB officers seconded from Revenue, Customs and the Department of Social Protection. The staff, forensic accountants and financial crime analysts, argued that their duties—search operations, court document preparation, interviews with dangerous criminals and court testimony—were equivalent to those of the non‑Garda officers and therefore entitled them to the same allowance. They had previously applied to the Minister for Justice in 2008 and 2011, receiving a €9,500‑per‑year allowance that they never formally accepted. Mr Justice Allen found no legal basis for equal pay, noting that the staff's contracts specified their remuneration and that their work was primarily indoor support rather than field search. The court held it had no function in adjudicating pay claims and dismissed the action.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Claim by CAB staff for increased allowance is dismissed. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• 2019-05-31 Publication

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Read the original CNI report