Bord na gCon manager says he was harassed

The regulation manager of Bord na gCon, Mr John Garrahy, has alleged before the High Court that he was bullied and harassed by the board's chief executive, Mr Michael Field, and that there was an orchestrated attempt by Mr Field and the board chairman, Mr Paschal Taggart, to remove him from office.

In an affidavit, Mr Garrahy has also claimed he was asked by a greyhound owner/trainer, Mr Brendan Matthews, who he described as "a friend of Mr Taggart", whether he could arrange for a urine sample from a greyhound to be secretly tested in the board's Limerick laboratory so Mr Matthews could ascertain whether a drug he was administering to the greyhound could be detected in the laboratory.

Mr Garrahy said he refused and later received a message on his mobile phone from Mr Taggart ordering that Mr Matthews's greyhound's sample be tested because Mr Taggart did not want any of his friend's dogs being detected with positive drug samples.

Mr Garrahy said he did not carry out the request and told Mr Field of the incident but Mr Field replied: "If the boss wants it, do it." Mr Garrahy said the test was done and the results forwarded in a sealed envelope to Mr Matthews.

During one meeting of the board of Bord na gCon, Mr Garrahy also said, Mr Taggart had screamed at him: "You are nothing other than a f . . . . . . eejit Garrahy and you have no balls to do anything and would you now get the f . . . . out of here."

Mr Garrahy has also alleged Mr Taggart and Mr Field sought to interfere in investigations carried out by him, including an investigation into the mislaying of an identity card at a race meeting in Cork in September 2000 for the greyhound, Zagato, whose owners included the wives of two Government ministers.

He further alleged that, in February 2001, Mr Field and Mr Michael Foley, financial controller, had reported to the board of Bord na gCon that the holder of the Cork bar and catering franchise had applied for a three-year extension of the franchise but both men neglected to inform the board they had already, in January 2001, agreed and executed a new franchise agreement with the existing franchisee.

Mr Garrahy said he was asked by Mr Taggart to investigate the matter.

He prepared the "Cork report" over which he was criticised and harassed by Mr Field. All contact between himself and Mr Taggart had effectively ceased after he sent the report to Mr Taggart.

He had written to Mr Field numerous times over Mr Field's bullying and harassment of him and also wrote to Mr Taggart about the matter. However, Bord na gCon had never investigated his complaints although it had a policy statement on harassment and bullying.

As a result of the treatment he had received, Mr Garrahy said it was now seen within the board as prejudicial to anyone's career "to be seen to even associate with me". He felt isolated and excluded and was being treated by his GP for hypertension and stress.

In an affidavit, Mr Field denied bullying or harassment and denied any differences of opinion with Mr Garrahy were taken personally by him or Mr Taggart.

Mr Field alleged Mr Garrahy had behaved aggressively and obstructively at meetings. He also claimed Mr Garrahy had placed him under pressure when Mr Garrahy was promoting the appointment of his brother-in-law, Mr Dermot O'Sullivan, as racing manager - Galway - and when Mr O'Sullivan was not appointed, Mr Garrahy's attitude towards Mr Field deteriorated.

Mr Field said Mr Taggart had made the statement concerning the reference "f . . . . . . eejit". This was a result of Mr Taggart's frustration at Mr Garrahy's failure to respond to an invitation to address the meeting.

He also denied he or Mr Taggart sought to interfere with investigations by Mr Garrahy. He rejected as "totally incorrect" Mr Garrahy's claim that Mr Field and Mr Foley had failed to tell the board about the January 18th meeting regarding the Cork catering franchise.

Mr Field said Bord na gCon required a full-time regulation manager to implement a range of measures and had encountered several problems in doing so due to Mr Garrahy's part-time status.

Mr Garrahy, a father of two and veterinary surgeon, of Ruanard, Clonlara, Co Clare, has applied to the High Court for an interlocutory order restraining Bord Na gCon from appointing any person as full-time regulation manager and restraining any person from carrying out duties currently carried out by him.

Mr Garrahy has been part-time regulation manager since 1996. He said although his working hours were intended to be 20 hours weekly, he worked considerably more than that and was, in all but name, a full-time regulation manager.

The case before Mr Justice O'Higgins is expected to last several days.