The Workplace Relations Commission has directed Mgm Boats (Cork) Limited to pay Alan Barton €66,500 after finding that it discriminated against him on the grounds of disability when it dismissed him. The decision was dated 18 August 2025.
Barton alleged that the company dismissed him without considering adjustments or consulting him about its occupational physician’s recommendations. The company denied discrimination, saying it acted over concerns about his capacity and workplace safety. The WRC found the company had been satisfied with his work for more than six years after his injury, disregarded its physician’s recommendation that he was fit for sales and customer service, and failed to explore other work options.
The WRC found the dismissal discriminatory, rather than victimisation, which Barton had pleaded in the alternative. It said the termination was not a redundancy situation, despite the title of the letter.