Equality Officer Tara Coogan rejected Christopher Traynor’s complaint that the Health Service Executive Dublin North East discriminated against him on Traveller community grounds over a delay in referral for methadone treatment. The decision was issued on 15 October 2009. Traynor withdrew his disability-ground complaint at the hearing; the Traveller-ground complaint failed.
The HSE said the delay was for medical reasons and that its staff followed pharmacy guidelines. Coogan found that clinical judgment and genuine medical reasons explained the timing, and that Traynor had not shown less favourable treatment linked to his Traveller identity. He began the programme on 28 June 2007 after being cleared on 21 June.