WRC orders Kildare landlords to pay tenant €23,000 over HAP discrimination

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

The Workplace Relations Commission ordered Jenny Brennan and Matthew Hannigan to pay tenant William Gallagher €23,000 after finding discrimination over delays in completing his Housing Assistance Payment form and victimisation after he pursued a complaint. The decision awarded €15,000 for discrimination and €8,000 for victimisation.

Gallagher had been eligible for monthly HAP of €1,012 towards rent of €1,300, but went without the payment for about 15 months. The adjudicator found the delay left him with a €15,180 loss in rent that HAP would have covered. The landlords denied discrimination and said Gallagher had agreed they need not complete the form because they intended to sell the property; he denied making that agreement.

After Gallagher notified the landlords that he was pursuing the matter under the Equal Status Act, they sent him three tenancy termination notices, the first within eight days. The WRC found the notices formed part of an escalation of unlawful conduct and awarded the additional €8,000 for victimisation.