Courts / Ireland / Report
Girl sidelined over disability wins €5k as LGFA ordered to loosen age rules nationwide
2024-07-11
Trial
Summary
A girl with cerebral palsy, who had been allowed to play with younger teams, was barred from competitive matches when her club reached the under‑12 level. The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that the Ladies Gaelic Football Association had discriminated against her under the Equal Status Act 2000. The tribunal found that from age seven she had played with younger girls as an accommodation for her disability, but on 8 April 2022 she was told she could not play because she was "over age". She was allowed to train but not to play competitive games for the rest of the season, a decision upheld by the county board. The tribunal noted that the ban was not due to her disability but to age, and that no risk assessment had been carried out.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Girl sidelined over disability wins €5k as LGFA ordered to loosen age rules nationwide. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- 8 April Other
- 2024-07-11 Publication
Why: However, on 8 April that year, the day of the first match of the season, the child was initially told she would not be allowed to play because she was "over age". CNI source report
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