The Labour Court upheld a €12,700 compensation award to Ronald Boyle after finding that An Garda Síochána discriminated against him because of his age in recruitment. The Court’s determination was dated 25 January 2023.
Boyle’s application to join the force in 2005 was not processed because he was over the age limit. He argued that the age cap was an unjustified substitute for assessing fitness. The respondents said the cap was needed to protect the force’s ability to carry out its work.
The Court found no evidence that older Gardaí could not perform the full range of duties or that the age limit was necessary to protect operational capacity. It said fitness tests during recruitment could be a less restrictive way to assess applicants. The respondents had not shown that the cap was justified under the legal exceptions they relied on. The appeal failed, leaving the Equality Officer’s decision and award in place.