The Workplace Relations Commission rejected Trevor Jordan’s age discrimination complaint against the Irish Prison Service, finding that its higher pay for a comparator was objectively justified. Jordan said he was paid about €32,000 less per year despite doing work of equal value. The decision was dated 24 January 2024.
The officer accepted that Jordan had established an initial case of discrimination, but found that the Service rebutted it. The comparator’s higher salary originated in a predecessor role and was maintained to attract candidates to the Service’s headquarters in Longford. The officer accepted the historical context and the Service’s explanation that the pay difference was due to factors other than age. The decision also found that the comparator’s job advertisement allowed either a healthcare qualification or relevant managerial experience, rather than requiring seven years’ experience of every applicant.