Senator sought to block promotion for key witness in Garda investigation, WRC hearing told

Former chief executive at Inland Fisheries Ireland tell hearing that within hours of complaint against him shared with agency’s board a TD had read details into Dáil record A senator tried to block a promotional opportunity for a key witness in a Garda investigation into alleged fraud at a State fisheries agency, a hearing at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has been told.The third day of a case being brought by Francis O’Donnell, former chief executive of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) heard he had concerns about a senator in intervening in the process around recruitment in August 2023 for a role of inspector at the agency.O’Donnell maintained that the senator, who was not identified, had sought to have blocked the appointment of a particular candidate who, one piece of internal correspondence opened at the hearing suggested, had been “nailed on” for the job. He said the person concerned was a key witness in Garda investigation under way at the time into IFI.READ MOREStalker who ‘followed’ influencer from street to hotel room spared jailIn Burke country: ‘Many people have a lot of time for the family but want to keep their heads down’Conor Murray: Expectations of Welsh success have nosedivedTrump must ‘be involved’ in choosing next leader of Iran; attacks ‘have no mandate from the UN’, says McEnteeO’Donnell separately maintained that within hours of a confidential protected disclosure containing allegations against him being provided to the IFI board, a TD read details of the claims into the Dáil record.The hearing on Thursday also heard that in a confidential briefing note for the Department of the Environment in December 2022 O’Donnell maintained “a kangaroo court” on its board was seeking to have him suspended or dismissed and to impede a Garda investigation into allegations of fraud at the organisation. O’Donnell in his case at the WRC is claiming he was unfairly dismissed by IFI and penalised on foot of protected disclosures he had made. In evidence earlier this week he maintained he had been threatened by a former chairman of the IFI board – identified as Fintan Gorman – after he suspended his brother, an employee of the agency, pending an investigation. O’Donnell also told the hearing earlier this week he had reported to gardaí that there had been “significant fraud” at IFI and that he was being blackmailed by a senator. On Thursday adjudication officer Michael McNamee directed that the witness should not identify any person by name. Transcripts of comments made in the Dáil and Seanad about IFI were read in private by counsel and the adjudication officer. Neither quotes from the Dáil and Seanad record or the identity of the politicians who made the comments in Leinster House were raised in public. O’Donnell said in December 2022 he had been informed by the then board chairwoman Frances Lucy that she had received a complaint about him. He said this included allegations that he had transferred a boat to his home in west Donegal using IFI staff and resources as well as that he had interfered in the appointment of a staff representative to the board as well as with the sale of a property owned by the agency. O’Donnell said the complaint was anonymous but that he recognised the handwriting. He said he had been assured that allegations would be kept confidential while an investigation process was carried out.However, he said following an IFI board meeting from which he was excluded, and at which shouting was heard, he had been told the complaint against him had been shared with the board.He said later that night a TD – who was not named – read parts of the same protected disclosure into the Dáil record.O’Donnell said subsequently his solicitor had written to IFI arguing that the move represented “an outrageous breach” of the Protected Disclosure Act and his client’s constitutional and employment rights.The letter said by publishing the protected disclosure to its directors, the board had fatally tainted any investigation IFI could carry out.The solicitor told IFI there was no merit to the allegations.O’Donnell maintained at the hearing that he had never bought a boat from the organisation.