Courts / Dublin / Report

Manager sacked over Port Tunnel 'prank' that was 'most serious incident' in its history

Date
2022-10-21
Stage
Trial
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

In a decision by the Workplace Relations Commission, the sacking of duty manager Martin Browne by Egis Road and Tunnel Operation Ireland Ltd. was upheld. The tribunal heard that on 10 January 2018, a junior colleague used the radio to pull a prank on an emergency patroller, falsely reporting a bus collision in the Dublin Port Tunnel. The patroller, identified only as 'AB', drove at high speed to the alleged crash site, increasing the risk of a real accident. Browne, who was ill with asthma that night, did not intervene and was later found to have "lost control" of the tunnel for 93 seconds. The tribunal concluded that Browne had ample opportunity to stop the prank and ruled his dismissal reasonable under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. The complaint was dismissed.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Manager sacked over Port Tunnel 'prank' that was 'most serious incident' in its history. Procedural stage: trial

When:

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention
Address Area
  • Egis Road

Topics

Stage Trial

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