Labour Court finds Irish Ferries dismissal of worker was not unfair

In 2000, the Labour Court found Irish Ferries’ dismissal of a worker was not unfair. Its recommendation was dated 28 March 2000. The dispute followed a crew member’s accusation of rape and earlier sexual harassment, which the worker denied. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union argued the company’s investigation was unfair, including because interview notes were withheld. Irish Ferries said it investigated the allegations and dismissed the worker for gross misconduct. The Court said its role was to assess whether the dismissal was fair, not to establish guilt or innocence. It found the accuser credible and the worker unconvincing on critical points. It said Irish Ferries should have sought a way to share the notes while protecting sources’ identities, but found withholding them did not significantly affect the outcome. The Court concluded the dismissal was consistent with the behaviour of a reasonable employer.