Labour Court reduces HSE South worker’s repayment recommendation to €15,000

The Labour Court varied a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation on a worker’s appeal, recommending that she repay HSE South €15,000 instead of €34,960.71. The decision was dated 9 July 2013. The worker said the HSE had repeatedly told her she was entitled to the payments and had failed to pay her increments for four years. The HSE acknowledged an administrative error caused the overpayment and said it had to recover it. The Court found no policy covered the circumstances, while also finding the worker had received money to which she was not fully entitled and that the HSE was largely responsible. It recommended repayment of €15,000, with the option to deduct it from her retirement gratuity.