Acting Killarney town foreman was ‘forced’ into taking early retirement

A senior craftsman and acting town foreman with a local authority had been “forced” into taking an early retirement package and had been constructively dismissed, an Employment Appeals Tribunal has found.

The tribunal said “being forced into a position of resigning, albeit with a package, amounts to a constructive dismissal.”

The decision came in a case taken against Kerry County Council by John Healy, of Dooneen, Kilcummn, Killarney, a qualified carpenter who had been employed for 33 years with the now defunct Killarney Town Council. He had been acting town foreman since 2009, helping the top tourist town secure several prestigious awards.