A Workplace Relations Commission adjudicator found TD Violet Anne Wynne unfairly dismissed her former constituency office assistant, Fiona Smyth, and ordered her to pay €11,500. The decision was dated 9 August 2024.
Smyth worked in Wynne’s Ennis office. Wynne said performance concerns and a loss of trust justified the dismissal. Smyth argued that it followed her request for union representation and that she had not been given a fair process or clear reason.
The adjudicator found that Wynne had not followed procedures, given a reason for the dismissal or offered an appeal. Compensation was chosen because reinstatement or re-engagement was not practical. Smyth found temporary work 13 weeks after her dismissal and later further employment at lower gross weekly pay, but the adjudicator said her efforts to limit her losses fell short of the expected standard.