Courts / Waterford / Report
Social worker who made protected disclosures bids to halt dismissal
Summary
A social worker, Ms Claire Looney, has initiated a High Court action to prevent her employer, Waterford Intellectual Disabilities Association (WIDA), from dismissing her following a two-year suspension. The action is aimed at halting her dismissal from her role as Head of Clinical Services with an association that supports people with intellectual disabilities in the South East. Ms Looney alleges that her dismissal followed an extremely flawed process and that she was penalised by the HSE due to protected disclosures she made regarding the alleged abuse of a woman with intellectual disabilities, known as 'Grace', while she was in care. She claims she made protected disclosures to the Department of Health, the HSE, and the Dail Public Accounts Committee about the care of 'Grace' and others in the same placement in 2009. These disclosures led to the establishment of the Farrelly Commission in 2017. Ms Looney was suspended in 2018 and, despite being exonerated of an allegation regarding HIQA, was informed in August that she would be dismissed, a decision upheld on appeal in November. Counsel for Ms Looney argued that the investigation into the allegations against her was flawed and that the terms of reference changed, leading to new allegations. The matter was adjourned to a date in mid-January, with the defendant directed to produce a replying sworn-statement in reply to Ms Looney's claims before then.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Social worker who made protected disclosures bids to halt dismissal. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial
When:
- May 2017 Other
- 2020-12-21 Publication
Case subjects
Applicant
Outcome: The judge adjourned the matter to a date in mid-January but directed that the defendant produce a replying sworn-statement in reply to Ms Looney's claims before then.
Applicant
Outcome: The judge adjourned the matter to a date in mid-January but directed that the defendant produce a replying sworn-statement in reply to Ms Looney's claims before then.
Applicant
Outcome: The judge adjourned the matter to a date in mid-January but directed that the defendant produce a replying sworn-statement in reply to Ms Looney's claims before then.
Places mentioned
- High Court
Topics
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