The Workplace Relations Commission ordered Byrne & King Meats Ltd T/A Dempsey & Byrne Craft Butchers to pay butcher Alan O'Connor €7,828.86 net in wages it found had been unlawfully withheld while he remained employed and willing to work. Adjudication Officer Breiffni O'Neill also awarded €1,282.29 gross for annual leave and public holidays, and €600 gross over missing written terms. The decision was dated 18 March 2026.
The employer said it required medical clearance before O'Connor could return to work for safety and insurance reasons. The WRC found that those concerns did not provide lawful authority to stop paying him. It upheld his holiday pay and written terms complaints, but rejected his complaints of disability discrimination and minimum notice, finding there had been no dismissal.