The Labour Court varied a €5,000 award to Anthony Leader on Iarnrod Eireann's appeal, directing the company to reimburse vouched GP consultation fees for the six months before his complaint, after he made the required contribution to the welfare scheme. The decision was signed on 10 December 2010.
Leader, a crossing keeper on a series of fixed-term contracts, had been excluded from a welfare scheme available to comparable permanent employees. Iarnrod Eireann accepted that the exclusion breached the law but appealed the amount of compensation, arguing he had suffered no financial loss.
The Court found Leader had paid for GP visits during the relevant period and could recover the vouched fees. Employees paid €100 a year to join the scheme; Leader was required to make the appropriate contribution for the six-month period before reimbursement.