Publican who cancelled booking under 'known Traveller surname' must pay compensation

A publican in Arigna, County Roscommon, has been ordered to pay €3,000 compensation to Bernard Ward following a determination by the Workplace Relations Commission that he unlawfully cancelled a memorial party booking on grounds of the complainant's membership of the Travelling Community. Mr Ward initially contacted the proprietor of the Miner's Bar with his surname misspelled due to autocorrect, receiving provisional acceptance. After clarifying his correct surname, Ward, in a subsequent text, the booking was cancelled, with the publican citing concerns about Covid-19 public health restrictions. The bar owner denied discrimination, asserting he was unaware of the surname's connection to the Travelling Community and that uncertainties regarding vaccination certificates prompted the cancellation. Adjudicating officer Emer O'Shea found no material change in regulations or government announcements between acceptance and cancellation, and determined the only substantive difference was disclosure of Mr Ward's surname. She upheld the complaint under the Equal Status Act 2000, finding the publican had failed to convincingly rebut an inference of discrimination.