Courts / Cork / Report
Visually-impaired man 'publicly humiliated' by bus refusal wins discrimination claim
Summary
Kenneth Walsh, a visually‑impaired man, was denied boarding a Bus Éireann coach with his guide dog on 26 June 2023, forcing him to take a taxi to a medical appointment. The driver, who had mistaken the coach for a double‑decker, claimed no space for the dog and told Walsh that it was not his problem. Walsh's bus was almost empty, and he had to leave the vehicle after the driver refused to accommodate him. The taxi lacked card facilities, so Walsh had to withdraw cash from an ATM, giving his PIN to the driver, which he described as extremely stressful. The Workplace Relations Commission found the driver's conduct unreasonable and discriminatory. Bus Éireann apologized, offered reimbursement, and the tribunal awarded Walsh €4,000 in compensation for the distress and inconvenience caused.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Visually-impaired man 'publicly humiliated' by bus refusal wins discrimination claim. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- 26 June Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-06-14 Publication
Why: In evidence to an equality hearing in March, Mr Walsh explained that the number 226 route was normally served by a double-decker bus, but as the vehicle that arrived to the stop that afternoon was a coach, the driver "must have thought that because coach buses have no wheelchair space, that there wasn't going to be a space for [the] dog". CNI source report
Case subjects
Applicant
Places mentioned
Topics
Related court reports
- Mentally ill man who put fellow psychiatric patient in chokehold to be immediately released into care of UK parents
- 'Alternative dispute resolution': man arranged 'straightener' during which dad-of-seven was stabbed to death
- Brothers who sexually assaulted teenage girls in mid-nineties can now be identified for first time
- ESB worker too late to pursue claim seeking €42k in alleged unpaid overtime
- 'No hand, act or part': Osgur Breatnach's wrongful conviction for Sallins train robbery declared a miscarriage of justice
- Migrant engineer who worked 10-hour days for under minimum wage wins €14k
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request