Courts / Limerick / Report
Retired inspector seeks High Court review over complaints of alleged serious wrongdoing at WRC
Summary
Retired labour inspector George McLoughlin is seeking a High Court review of a decision by the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner not to investigate his complaints of alleged serious wrongdoing at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). Mr McLoughlin, who worked for the National Employment Rights Authority from 2008 to 2017, claims he submitted three protected disclosures between 2015 and 2017 alleging that senior officials colluded to prevent investigations and penalised him. He named the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) and Minister Frances Fitzgerald as notice parties. Sipo closed his complaints in March 2023, stating the subject matter lacked sufficient gravity. Subsequently, the Commissioner's office closed a fourth disclosure in July 2024, citing a lack of prima facie evidence. Mr McLoughlin is seeking to quash this decision and order the report to be transmitted to an independent person for follow-up. At the High Court this week, Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty adjourned the matter to March 25. She directed Mr McLoughlin to serve all materials in his possession to the three parties involved. The matter was adjourned and is not concluded.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Retired inspector seeks High Court review over complaints of alleged serious wrongdoing at WRC. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- March 2023 Other
- July 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 25 Adjournment
- 2015 and 2017 Other
- 2008 to 2017 Other
- 2022 and 2023 Other
- 2025-01-28 Publication
Why: In 2022, Mr McLoughlin failed in a High Court action over what he claimed was penalisation in his employment because of he had made claims of an alleged pro-employer bias in the WRC that undermined vulnerable workers. CNI source report
Case subjects
Applicant
Outcome: At the High Court this week, Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty adjourned the matter to March 25 and told Mr McLoughlin to serve all materials in his possession to the three parties involved.
Places mentioned
- High Court
- South Circular Road
- Limerick
Topics
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