WRC awards Barry McKelvey €500 over Irish Rail wage deductions

The Workplace Relations Commission ordered Iarnroid Eireann Irish Rail to pay Barry McKelvey €500 after finding that payroll deductions for legal costs lacked his prior written consent. Adjudication Officer Conor Stokes dated the decision 28 November 2024. The deductions were made to recover costs McKelvey owed the employer following unsuccessful High Court and Supreme Court proceedings. The officer found that the employer was entitled to the costs, but that the Payment of Wages Act required written consent before deductions were made. McKelvey had argued that he had not consented in writing; the employer said it had tried to agree a repayment plan before beginning deductions.