Phillip Beattie’s unfair dismissal complaint adjourned by WRC

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

Phillip Beattie’s unfair dismissal complaint against Protestant Aid was adjourned by the Workplace Relations Commission after a preliminary hearing. The proceedings were reported on 19 February 2025.

Mr Beattie alleged that questioning two cheques was fundamental to his selection for redundancy in 2024. He said he had sought information about who received the money while auditing a nursing home’s affairs.

Emma Davey, barrister for the separately registered Brabazon Trust, argued that Mr Beattie had named the incorrect respondent. She submitted that he had been a contractor providing accountancy technician services for Protestant Aid between 2021 and 2022, but was never its employee, and later held a different administrative role with the Trust. Mr Beattie countered that Protestant Aid, the Brabazon Trust and the nursing home were all “under the same umbrella” and “run by the same person”.

The respondent also argued that Mr Beattie had lodged his complaint a fortnight too late for the WRC to have jurisdiction. Mr Beattie referred to technical issues on the website and said he believed his complaint, lodged on 21 November 2024, was in time because he had received his final wage on 31 May 2024.

Adjudicator Donal Moore said the central issue was whether Mr Beattie had been unfairly dismissed and that bullying and harassment were not relevant to the matter before him. He adjourned the matter to a future date.