Kilkenny County Council did not discriminate against retained firefighter, WRC finds

The Workplace Relations Commission found that Kilkenny County Council did not discriminate against retained firefighter Gerry Whyte on age grounds. Adjudication Officer Seamus Clinton’s decision was dated 10 July 2024. Whyte said colleagues over 55 received average lost-callout payments when stood down, while he did not. The council said those arrangements applied to older firefighters facing mandatory retirement, and the officer accepted they were not like-for-like comparators. He found the different treatment permitted under statutory exceptions. Whyte withdrew his other complaints at the hearing; the age complaint was the only one pursued.