In 1995, the Labour Court rejected the Civil and Public Service Union’s appeal and upheld a finding that the Department Of Education did not discriminate against Ursula Healy and Cindy Mannion. The Court’s decision was dated 21 December 1995.
The two job-sharing clerical officers were transferred from the Examinations Branch in Athlone to a Special Education Section post in October 1991. The union argued that comparisons should include clerical officers across the Civil Service and that full-time work requirements affected women disproportionately.
The Court said the relevant comparison group was clerical officers in the Examinations Branch because the transfers affected that branch alone. It also found no difference between the proportions of men and women able to meet the full-time requirement that amounted to discrimination.