The Labour Court disallowed Alan O’Doherty’s appeal against the rejection of his claim for a contract of indefinite duration at University College Dublin (UCD). In its determination dated 27 April 2015, the Court affirmed the Rights Commissioner’s decision that the complaint was not well founded.
O’Doherty argued that his successive fixed-term contracts entitled him to a permanent contract from 1 December 2012. UCD said the one-year renewal was part of a structured post-doctoral training and development programme.
The Court found that O’Doherty was engaged in the programme and that the renewal was appropriate and necessary to achieve its objective. It relied on the training terms in his contract, the development opportunities provided and the skills he acquired. The renewal was objectively justified under the Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act, so the contract did not become one of indefinite duration.