The Workplace Relations Commission ordered Cavan County Council to pay Cian Donohoe €15,000 after finding that he was penalised for raising workplace safety concerns. The decision was dated 24 November 2025.
Donohoe, a part-time retained firefighter, alleged that after he raised concerns in 2022, a station officer subjected him to detriment. The Council argued the complaint was out of time and that no detriment or causal link had been shown.
The adjudication officer found that Donohoe had raised health and safety issues, including concerns about missing protective equipment and a torch. The officer found that comments by the station officer at a meeting on 23 May 2024 amounted to coercion or intimidation and were linked to the earlier complaint.