Courts / Galway / Report
Ex fisheries director 'acting irrationally' when son (13) allowed drive State tractor
Summary
Patrick Gorman, a former director of Inland Fisheries Ireland, claimed that after being suspended in February 2022, he had his 13‑year‑old son drive a State‑owned tractor on a public road at night. He said the suspension shocked him and that he was not acting rationally. The Workplace Relations Commission heard that the allegations of corruption made against him in a protected disclosure were not upheld, but the agency dismissed him for the unauthorised use of the tractor and a boat while suspended. Gorman said he had taken the tractor and a four‑metre RHIB to his home and later used the boat alone on Lough Mask. The tribunal noted that the use of the tractor by a minor breached road traffic legislation and that the dismissal was upheld on appeal in October 2022. The case remains at the WRC stage, with no further outcome reported.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Ex fisheries director 'acting irrationally' when son (13) allowed drive State tractor. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- February 2022 Other
- October 2022 Other
- February 2 Other
- 1 February Incident
- 2023-07-12 Publication
Why: Mr Gorman said the IFI tractor was 25 years old and had only been kept in service for its seasonal work for so long because he had housed it for the agency's use for years at his home. CNI source report
Places mentioned
Topics
Road Traffic Stage Hearing Or Decision
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