Naomi Hanlon wins €55,575 maternity discrimination award

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

Naomi Hanlon won a maternity discrimination complaint at the Workplace Relations Commission, with adjudicator Brian Dolan awarding €55,575 plus €500 for a working-time breach. The proceedings were reported on 25 March 2025.

The complaint followed her dismissal by Emer McGrath on New Year’s Eve 2023, after a dispute about whether Hanlon intended to resign or begin maternity leave. McGrath denied the allegations and said the dismissal was not influenced by pregnancy.

Dolan found the conflicting accounts of the October 2023 meeting essentially impossible to resolve, but said the alleged dishonesty had not been demonstrated. He upheld the discrimination complaint and awarded 15 months’ pay, €55,575, together with the additional €500 payment.