The Workplace Relations Commission awarded dog warden Conor Williamson €18,000 after finding he was penalised for making a protected disclosure about animal welfare and veterinary pharmaceutical concerns. The decision was dated 20 September 2022.
Williamson said he reported the euthanasia of two dogs to his employer and later to An Garda Síochána. The respondents said the investigations and disciplinary action concerned workplace conduct and were unrelated to his disclosures. The WRC found the investigation and disciplinary process spurious and his suspension unwarranted, amounting to penalisation under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.
The respondents were ordered to pay €18,000 in financial compensation. The decision records that the complaint form was amended and considered under the Protected Disclosures Act.