Courts / Limerick / Report
Former port supervisor awarded €25k for whistleblower retaliation
Summary
In a tribunal hearing, the Department of Agriculture was found to have no evidence supporting a whistleblower's claim that a former harbourmaster at Rossaveal accepted a large cash envelope to allow a vessel to be scrapped there without paying substantial fees. The Harbourmaster, identified only as "Captain B," was cleared of all but one minor allegation, which involved using a state vehicle to transport a relative to school. The Workplace Relations Commission determined that the harbourmaster retaliated against the whistleblower, Padraic O'Toole, by attempting to bill him for berthing a personal vessel at the harbour, despite the fact that staff had been allowed to tie up boats there free of charge for years. O'Toole had previously reported concerns about alleged inappropriate financial arrangements, including the sale of scrap metal at below‑value prices and incorrect rates charged to fishing vessels.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Former port supervisor awarded €25k for whistleblower retaliation. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial
When:
- February 2022 Other
- June 2022 Other
- 22 October 2022 Other
- October 2022 Other
- Christmas 2021 Other
- 2024-05-07 Publication
Places mentioned
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