WRC finds Dundalk Town FC penalisation protection did not apply to Gartland dismissal

The Workplace Relations Commission found that section 12(1) of the Protected Disclosures Act did not apply to Brian Gartland’s penalisation complaint against Dundalk Town FC Limited. The decision, dated 15 January 2025, relied on a related unfair-dismissal ruling that found Gartland had been dismissed for making a protected disclosure. Gartland said he raised concerns about player safety and the manager’s condition, and was fired after a discussion about a possible alternative manager. The club did not attend the hearing, saying in advance it would not attend because it was scheduled outside the legal term. No award was recorded in this complaint; the earlier related case awarded redress, with no amount specified here.