The general manager of James Connolly Memorial Hospital, at Blanchardstown, Co Dublin has failed to get a High Court injunction restraining his removal from that job to a new position.
Mr Thomas Gorey had sought the interlocutory injunction pending the hearing of his full legal action against the Northern Area Health Board (NAHB). Mr Gorey, of Delwood Walk, Castleknock, Dublin, has worked for the Eastern Health Board for 32 years and has been general manager of the James Connolly hospital for 11 years. Yesterday, Mr Justice Kelly was told that Mr Gorey became aware during this year that the post he occupied was the subject of internal competition.
He was interviewed for his own post, was unsuccessful and was later told that it was proposed to reassign him to the special projects department of the NAHB in Swords, Co Dublin. He then initiated legal proceedings. Refusing Mr Gorey's application for an interlocutory injunction, the judge said it appeared from the evidence regarding a new strategy for the NAHB that there was no decision as to how anybody in the board would be affected or where people would be placed.
He criticised the manner in which Mr Gorey was told about his proposed reassignment. Mr Gorey had gone to a meeting in March with board officials where he could not be given any details as to his redeployment, the judge said. While that was subsequently put right, it was "a rather shabby way" to have treated somebody with that length of service. Mr Justice Kelly said all the evidence showed there was no cause of any complaint in relation to the way Mr Gorey discharged his obligations.