Clare council pursuing Traveller advocate over €7,800 tribunal fine

CLARE COUNTY Council confirmed yesterday that it is now pursuing Traveller advocate Heather Rosen for the payment of €7,800 in fines imposed on her by the Equality Tribunal for impeding its investigations.

The local authority confirmed that its solicitors have written to Ms Rosen seeking the payment of the fines as the tribunal confirmed that it has dismissed a further 23 "discrimination" complaints initiated by Ms Rosen against the county council involving 74 complainants from the Traveller community.

The council spokesman said that the tribunal had dismissed 39 separate complaints brought by Ms Rosen against the council and to date it has cost the council €150,000 in legal fees to defend the claims.

In each of the 39 cases, the Equality Tribunal has fined Ms Rosen €200 for "impeding and obstructing" the work of the tribunal.

Earlier this month, it emerged that Ms Rosen received funding of €64,000 from Dublin-based private organisation Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI) to lodge the complaints in 2005-2007.

A spokesman for the council yesterday welcomed the latest tranche of decisions.

During the cases, the council had threatened High Court judicial review proceedings on the tribunal to have Ms Rosen removed as a representative of the Travellers.

The spokesman said: "We believe that a number of the complainants were not aware that the complaints were made on their behalf by Ms Rosen."

Ms Rosen said yesterday that this council statement "is not true".

She also denied that she has obstructed the work of the tribunal in any way.

Ms Rosen said that the funding from the SEI went towards office or preparation costs, transport costs to the tribunal hearings for family members, child-minding and sustenance costs.

She said that the imposition of the fines yesterday was "unprincipled" and that she was trying to identify a legal remedy in order not to have to pay the fines.

"The council is able to use public resources to meet the complaints, but the complainants have no recourse to public funds or legal aid."

The tribunal has not decided on any of the substantive issues before it.

Ms Rosen confirmed that there are still a number of cases involving 15 families before the tribunal where hearings have yet to be heard.