Courts / Ireland / Report

Bord Gáis engineer claims he was unfairly dismissed over side work allegations

Summary

Kieran O'Leary, a Bord Gáis service engineer earning over €60,000 a year, was dismissed in January 2024 after the company alleged he offered side‑work to customers, breaching a competition clause. He claims no cash was ever received from a complainant and that all work was performed under company procedures. O'Leary presented evidence of a grommet he installed in February 2023 and a circuit board part he fitted in March 2023, arguing these were legitimate repairs. He says the complaints were handled informally by his line manager and that the investigation was paused while he was on sick leave. The WRC hearing ended with cross‑examination of O'Leary and the HR manager, and a decision is pending. O'Leary has filed an unfair dismissal claim under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Bord Gáis engineer claims he was unfairly dismissed over side work allegations. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• January 2024 Other
• April 2022 Incident
• February 2023 Other
• March 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
• July 2023 Other
• 2022 and 2023 Other
• 2025-03-05 Publication

Why: You wouldn't be able to leave the boiler on, because it wouldn't be sealed," Mr O'Leary said. CNI source report

Case subjects

Topics

Stage Trial

Read the original CNI report