Courts / Donegal / Report
Ex-CEO of Inland Fisheries faced disciplinary action after finding he sent interview questions to job candidate, tribunal told
Summary
The former CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland, Francis O'Donnell, faced disciplinary action after an internal investigation found that he had given inappropriate assistance to a candidate applying for a senior post. The investigation revealed that O'Donnell had forwarded interview questions to the candidate and had advised them on how to amend their cover letter and CV. O'Donnell claimed that he had been mentoring the candidate and that the disciplinary process was an act of whistleblower penalisation. The tribunal heard that an independent investigation by RSM concluded that O'Donnell had given inappropriate assistance to the candidate, who ultimately got the job. O'Donnell denied the allegations and claimed that the process had not been fair, as the confidentiality of the investigation was breached. The tribunal adjourned the hearings until Monday, with the adjudication officer to consider the case under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, the Payment of Wages Act 1991, and the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Ex-CEO of Inland Fisheries faced disciplinary action after finding he sent interview questions to job candidate, tribunal told. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- February 2024 Other
- October 2020 Other
- 1 March Other
- 4 June 2025 Other
- 20 November Other
- 2026-07-03 Publication
Why: "I can't say, because it never happened," Mr O'Donnell said in reply at a hearing today. CNI source report
Case subjects
Applicant
Outcome: The hearings into his complaints under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, the Payment of Wages Act 1991, and the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 before adjudication officer Michael MacNamee stand adjourned until Monday.
Applicant
Outcome: The hearings into his complaints under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, the Payment of Wages Act 1991, and the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 before adjudication officer Michael MacNamee stand adjourned until Monday.
Places mentioned
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