Bank set me up to fail, claims top official

The High Court has dismissed an application by a senior Bank of Ireland official, who claims she was marginalised and “set up to fail” by her employer, for an order requiring the bank pay her salary pending her full legal action.

Catherine Ryan, who joined Bank of Ireland as deputy head of group performance in September at an annual €177,000 salary, initiated proceedings against it last month aimed at nullifying her dismissal.

She seeks various orders including one allowing her return to employment with Bank of Ireland or damages.

Bank of Ireland opposes the application and says the termination of her employment had been valid.

In a pre-trial ruling at the High Court yesterday, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan said the court could not make an order directing the bank to pay her salary on an ongoing basis until the full hearing of the action.

He directed that the dispute proceed to full hearing at the earliest possible opportunity and fixed the case for the start of the new legal term in October.

Ms Ryan, from Dundrum, Dublin, claims the role she was assigned was very different from the role she was hired to do. She claims she was isolated at work and “set up to fail” by her superior.

Bank of Ireland says the decision to terminate her employment was performance related.