The Workplace Relations Commission found that Sian Keary discriminated against Gavin O Reilly on the housing assistance ground and awarded him €500 compensation. The decision was dated 31 July 2023.
O Reilly said he had orally agreed to rent a small unit beside Keary’s family home and asked her to complete forms for a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Keary said she backed out after learning he hoped to receive HAP, saying she was not “HAP Compliant”.
The WRC said the housing assistance ground protects people who have applied for and are eligible to receive payments such as HAP, including people seeking accommodation. It found Keary had assumed O Reilly might not be able to cover the rent and that this was the kind of assumption the protection was intended to prevent. The WRC was satisfied that O Reilly had established discrimination, which Keary had not rebutted.