The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) awarded Liam Og Lynch €12,000 in compensation after finding he was unfairly dismissed by Iarnrod Eireann. Adjudication Officer Brian Dolan’s decision was dated 18 June 2025.
Lynch, an Engineering Operative, said the company changed a final written warning to dismissal without giving him a chance to respond or appeal. Iarnrod Eireann said he operated a gantry crane despite an instruction not to, and that dismissal was justified by safety concerns.
The WRC found the employer had not adequately investigated the circumstances or gathered accounts from other workers. It also found that the employer raised the penalty from a final written warning to dismissal on grounds of unsuitability and removed the appeal opportunity. The WRC chose compensation rather than reinstatement.