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Aer Lingus feared 'Barbara Streisand effect' if injunction sought over sacked pilot's social media posts, WRC hears
Summary
In a Workplace Relations Commission hearing, Aer Lingus senior manager Méadbh Gallagher testified that she feared a "Barbara Streisand effect" if an injunction were sought to stop former captain Tom O'Riordan from posting online about his dispute with the airline. Gallagher said the airline had denied O'Riordan's complaints under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. She described a series of disciplinary processes over his social‑media posts, including a letter dated 1 July 2024 warning that posts containing personal data of colleagues could lead to legal action. Gallagher denied that any injunction had been discussed and said the threat was "baseless." The hearing focused on whether the airline's actions constituted whistleblower penalisation and unfair dismissal, with no outcome reported in the article.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Aer Lingus feared 'Barbara Streisand effect' if injunction sought over sacked pilot's social media posts, WRC hears. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- 5 June 2023 Incident
- September 2024 Other
- 1 July 2024 Other
- 7 June Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-10-01 Publication
Why: Giving evidence today, Mr Nolan said that while for an individual member of staff, a safety report might seem "seismic", because of the volume of reports his department handled it might be classed as an everyday matter "within the tolerable risk". CNI source report
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