A travel insurance complaint by Michael Haynes against Mapfre Asistencia Compania International De Seguros y Reaseguros trading as Mawdy was rejected by the Workplace Relations Commission, which found that age affected his premium but did not amount to discrimination in the circumstances. Adjudication Officer Penelope McGrath issued the decision dated 5 September 2025.
Haynes alleged direct and indirect age discrimination after he was refused his previous policy at 66 and offered a more expensive one. The insurer denied discrimination, saying it relied on actuarial and statistical data to assess risk. The officer accepted that data showed higher cancellation and medical claim rates among customers over 65 and found the insurer reasonably relied on it when setting premiums.
The officer noted that compensation under the Equal Status Act could reach €15,000, but no compensation was awarded in this case.