The Labour Court found that Sport Ireland unfairly dismissed former Finance Manager Joanna Gurtman and ordered her re-engagement in her former role on the same terms and conditions. The decision is dated 16 September 2026.
Gurtman appealed an Adjudication Officer’s decision that her dismissal was fair. Sport Ireland said the dismissal followed serious misconduct, including non-attendance and failure to perform duties. Gurtman argued that the dismissal was unfair in substance and procedure.
The Court found that the investigation had serious procedural flaws and unsupported conclusions. It also found that the disciplinary decision-maker did not consider Gurtman’s written defence, and that the appeal process did not address the earlier deficiencies.
Re-engagement is to take effect 42 days after the decision. The period from dismissal until re-engagement is to be treated as unpaid suspension.