Courts / Waterford / Report

Veteran SIPTU official loses whistleblower penalisation claim

Date
2025-05-07

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Waterford

Summary

Ger Malone, a veteran SIPTU organiser, claimed she was penalised after making protected disclosures about alleged wrongdoing in the union and local government. She alleged 30 acts of penalisation in response to 17 disclosures from February 2020 to August 2022, including criticism letters and alleged interference with her work. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) held hearings in Waterford and Carlow between April 2024 and February 2025. Adjudicator Marie Flynn found that Malone had made protected disclosures on five occasions, but rejected her claim that 12 other events constituted penalisation. The WRC excluded the first 19 allegations due to lack of time extension and judged the remaining 11 as not penalisation under the Act. The decision, published in a 76‑page document, concluded that no detriment had been suffered by Malone in the staff‑representative election or other matters. The case was heard under the law in force when Malone lodged her claim in November 2022.