WRC rejects anonymised transgender taxi driver’s gender discrimination claim

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

The Workplace Relations Commission rejected an anonymised transgender taxi driver’s claim that he was discriminated against on gender grounds, ruling that the transport company had not breached the Employment Equality Act 1998. The WRC said the company acted reasonably in terminating his contract after complaints about inappropriate workplace conversations and child-safeguarding breaches.

The driver said the conversations were consensual discussions between adults when children were absent and that a special-ne needs assistant had encouraged them in a “safe space”. The company said it had no issue with his transgenderism and treated him like any other contractor. WRC adjudication officer Gaye Cunningham said the conversations were inappropriate in the workplace irrespective of gender. A separate sexual-orientation discrimination claim was withdrawn during the hearing. The proceedings were reported on 9 February 2026.