Health board discriminates against English worker

A BRITISH social worker who asked not to have to deal with a client known to be a dangerous paedophile and living near his family was told “in Ireland we have to live and work in dangerous conditions ... get used to that”.

The man made the request to the South Eastern Health Board’s (SEHB) senior social worker, when he discovered his client had moved to the small town in which he and his family lived.

He had been warned that his client was a predatory and dangerous paedophile, whose extradition was being sought by British police in connection with offences against children. The man obtained a temporary position as a child protection social worker with the SEHB in January 2000. He complained to the Equality Tribunal that his nationality was a factor in his failure to be appointed to a permanent team leader post; that his contract was prematurely terminated in August 2000 because of bias against him; and that he was victimised by unsubstantiated allegations of professional misconduct made against him to frustrate an internal investigation of his claims of discrimination.