Laura O’Regan awarded €45,000 over unfair dismissal

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

Laura O’Regan was awarded €45,000 by the Workplace Relations Commission after it found that the Killarney Advertiser unfairly dismissed her for making a protected disclosure about workplace safety. The proceedings were reported on 24 October 2024.

WRC adjudication officer Maria Kelly said the disclosure was directly connected to the dismissal. The company disputed the claim, saying Ms O’Regan was dismissed over performance standards and missed advertising targets; it also maintained that a baseball-bat reference was a metaphor for protecting staff. The company accepted she had received no prior performance warnings.