The Workplace Relations Commission found that Bus Eireann - Irish Bus discriminated against Annie Burke, a member of the Traveller community, and awarded her €750 in compensation. The decision was dated 9 November 2023.
The complaint concerned an incident on a bus travelling from Tralee to Killarney on 26 June 2022. Burke said the driver shouted at her and her mother after her mother mistakenly presented her father’s pass; Annie had bought her own ticket. She said she was embarrassed and treated unacceptably because she is a Traveller. The driver said he acted respectfully.
The adjudication officer accepted the complainants’ account and found that the driver’s claim that he could not identify Traveller passengers damaged his credibility. The officer found less favourable treatment in the provision of the bus service. Burke was able to travel, and she did not allege that the incident caused problems at work; the award reflected the upset and embarrassment caused that day.