Labour Court raises Ronan Farrell’s unfair dismissal award to €7,488

The Labour Court increased compensation for Ronan Farrell’s unfair dismissal to €7,488, varying the Adjudication Officer’s nil award. The decision was dated 28 January 2020. Irish Sea Contractors Limited no longer contested that the dismissal was unfair, and the appeal concerned redress only. Farrell sought compensation for lost earnings; the company said he contributed to his dismissal by failing to attend a rostered job, forcing it to hire divers at short notice. The Court found Farrell had suffered financial loss but had contributed substantially to his dismissal and had not shown active steps to reduce his loss. It found reinstatement or re-engagement impractical and awarded compensation equal to ten weeks’ average salary. Farrell no longer pursued his protected disclosure claim.