Courts / Ireland / Report

Fair City actor seeks to summon DG in employment status row

Summary

Tony Tormey, a Fair City actor, has filed a complaint with the Workplace Relations Commission claiming he is entitled to a fixed‑term contract under the Protection of Employees (Fixed‑Term Work) Act 2003. He alleges that RTÉ treated him as a self‑employed contractor, despite his claim that he has been on a series of "rollover" contracts since 1989 and that his terms have not changed. At the preliminary hearing, Tormey's barrister, Conor Bowman SC, argued that the broadcaster was aware of his entitlement to an indefinite contract as early as 2017, citing an Eversheds report. RTÉ's counsel, Mairead McKenna SC, countered that Tormey's earnings varied yearly and that a Revenue audit revealed significant income tax liabilities. The tribunal adjourned the case for a case‑management conference and the drafting of an issue paper, and the request for a witness summons of RTÉ director‑general Dee Forbes was denied as unnecessary and inflammatory.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Fair City actor seeks to summon DG in employment status row. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• 2022-11-04 Publication

Why: She said RTÉ wanted the full details of the audit produced to the tribunal in order to "get under the bonnet" and examine "other earnings that we believe Mr Tormey was engaged in". CNI source report

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report