WRC finds it lacked jurisdiction over Department of Social Protection dismissal claim

The Workplace Relations Commission found it had no jurisdiction to hear Jonathan Muldoon’s unfair dismissal complaint against the Department of Social Protection because he did not have the required one year of continuous service. The merits were not decided. Muldoon said his earlier temporary role should count toward the service requirement. The WRC found that his two periods of employment were separated by distinct contracts and resignations, so they could not be combined. He had less than seven months’ continuous service in the permanent role at the centre of the complaint. The decision was dated 19 October 2023.