A Government department has lost an appeal against an Equality Tribunal decision to award compensation to a civil servant who said he was overlooked for promotion because of his alcoholism.
The tribunal awarded €6,000 to the claimant last year, as well as a backdated pay increase, when it found he had been discriminated against because of his disability.
His disability was identified as his alcoholism. The claimant, the longest-serving staff member in the department on his grade, underwent treatment for alcoholism in 1995 and had been in recovery since.
He told the tribunal he had expected to be promoted under the consistory - or direct - method of promotion in operation. He claimed members of the consistory committee were aware of the fact he was an alcoholic and this had influenced their decision not to recommend him for promotion.
The department, which has not been named, appealed the tribunal's finding to the Labour Court. It argued the tribunal's decision was wrong because alcoholism could not be classified as a disability.
The court, however, said it was satisfied that at the time relevant to his complaint, the civil servant was suffering from a disability within the meaning of the Equal Status Act.
