Teacher cannot take case for unfair dismissal

A TEACHER with one of the country’s best-known schools has been told he cannot take an unfair dismissal case before the Employment Appeals Tribunal despite being fired from his role as a senior house master.

The EAT ruled yesterday that it was not legally entitled to hear a claim for unfair dismissal being taken by Ed O’Farrell, a former assistant head of boarding at Blackrock College, Dublin.

Kevin D’Arcy, counsel for Mr O’Farrell, said his client had been separately engaged by Blackrock College, in addition to his teaching post, as a house master in 2001 which involved the supervision of the school’s boarding students.

Mr O’Farrell was paid €13,000 per annum and provided with accommodation in a house in Dean’s Grange for this position.

Lawyers for Mr O’Farrell claimed he was unfairly dismissed from this post as he was informed in May 2009 that the position was being made redundant due to the falling number of boarders at the college.

EAT chairperson, Margaret Levey, ruled that Mr O’Farrell had just the one contract of employment with Blackrock College.

Although the college may inadvisedly have furnished Mr O’Farrell with redundancy documentation, Ms Levey said the EAT still did not have jurisdiction to hear the case. However, she advised the teacher that he had “other avenues of redress.”