Mother seeks damages from employer over ‘discrimination’ due to pregnancy

A Dublin mother, who claimed in court she was fired after becoming pregnant, has asked a judge to award her damages against her former employer on the grounds of discriminatory treatment.

Jacqueline Gannon, a former secretary with MD Property Management Ltd, alleged in the Circuit Civil Court she had been dismissed less than 18 months after joining the company and only a week after returning from maternity leave.

Barrister James Phillips, counsel for the company, told Judge Alison Lindsay that Ms Gannon had been hired by company director Mark Dunleavy in July 2010 for six months on a part-time basis but had been kept on because of extra work in the company. He had not given her a contract.

Mr Phillips said Ms Gannon had known before starting her maternity leave in June 2011 that her job was being ended due to an economic downturn within the company.

Ms Gannon, of Grange Abbey Grove, Donaghmede, Dublin, denied she was hired initially only for six months. She alleged she had been threatened with loss of her position due to her pregnancy.

She told her barrister Amy O’Donoghue that she had been “worried and stressed out” after meetings with Mr Dunleavy in March 2011 about her pregnancy status.

Mr Dunleavy told the court he signed a maternity leave form for Ms Gannon with a return-to-work date for mid-December 2011 so that she would get her maternity benefits. She had never told him she wanted to return to work.

He denied firing her and said she had not been replaced. He said he was advised not to sign Jobseekers Benefit forms for her.

Judge Lindsay has reserved judgement until next month.