Courts / Ireland / Report

Disabled garda awarded €50k after WRC finds force prevented her promotion

Summary

In a 2023 decision, the Workplace Relations Commission awarded Garda Jacinta Kenny €50,000 after finding that the Gardaí had discriminated against her on the basis of disability. Kenny, who has migraine status, swallowing difficulties, borderline personality disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and agoraphobia, had applied for a sergeant's post in 2017 and was placed on the sergeant panel in 2019. A senior officer told her that promotions would be to frontline roles she could not perform and that her promotion was "held up because of medical grounds". The officer also alleged that Kenny had said she would self‑harm in a way that posed a danger to the public, an allegation Kenny denied. The WRC found the allegation unsubstantiated, concluded that the Gardaí had prevented her promotion, and ordered the force to treat her equally and provide her personnel file. The ruling was received by the parties' legal representatives but has not yet been published by the WRC.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Disabled garda awarded €50k after WRC finds force prevented her promotion. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• August 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• 7 June Other
• 2023-07-06 Publication

Why: After that, she said a senior officer told her the promotions would be to "frontline" roles she couldn't perform and then that her promotion was "held up because of medical grounds", with the Garda Commissioner waiting for a report from the Garda Chief Medical officer. CNI source report

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report