Deirdre O'Grady awarded €5,000 for disability discrimination

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Deirdre O'Grady was awarded €5,000 for disability discrimination by the Workplace Relations Commission, reported on 20 February 2024. The WRC found that the HSE had not met its obligations to provide reasonable accommodation after redeploying her to kitchen work in Ballinasloe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

O'Grady had been working in an office role in Tuam after receiving chemotherapy, which left her with nerve damage, according to her account to the WRC. The union said the Ballinasloe kitchen duties conflicted with medical advice; the HSE maintained that it had followed occupational health recommendations.

The adjudicating officer found O'Grady's account of the working conditions credible and said the HSE's efforts did not meet its legal duties. The WRC also rejected her separate claim concerning extra commuting costs.