A primary school teacher has recently been awarded €54,000.00 in compensation by the Equality Tribunal. The school teacher who qualified in 1987 had been employed in the school as deputy principal since 2003. She applied for the position of principal and lost out to a less qualified , less experienced, younger candidate. The teacher who held a Master’s Degree was recognised by the Tribunal as being better qualified than the successful candidate.Because both candidates were marked the same on experience and qualifications the Tribunal found that there was discrimination on the grounds of age.

Further the Tribunal was satisfied that the teacher was asked discriminatory and therefore illegal questions during interview which included questions on the teacher’s views on the Forum on Pluralism and Patronage. the tribunal also accepted that the teacher was asked the question “what about the homos?”

The figure awarded in compensation for the distress suffered by the teacher is equivalent to one year’s salary.