[article] Irish Rail senior manager stands aside amid probe

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Examiner

Irish Rail senior manager stands aside amid probe
By Scott Millar
Saturday, December 05, 2009

IRISH RAIL has confirmed that one of the semi-state’s senior managers has "stood aside from their position" as part of an ongoing investigation within the company.

In recent weeks the company has been at the centre of allegations, and confirmed cases, of fraudulent activity by employees which were revealed in a report by consultants Baker Tilly last month.

A Department of Transport report into procurement policy at the semi-state is also pending with that department’s general secretary already having described procedures for projects costing under €50,000 as being "very, very unsatisfactory".

However the decision of the senior manager, to withdraw from work is not linked to these fraud investigations.

A case involving an Irish Rail chief civil engineer concerning allegations of bullying at the company is also scheduled to be heard at the High Court from December 15.

The controversies surrounding Irish Rail follow on from the revelation last month that an Irish Rail employee who defrauded the company of hundreds of thousands of euro by selling railway sleepers was re-instated after management took account of his father’s good work record and he paid €100,000 to the company.

This case involved an employee who was initially suspended from Irish Rail in 2006 when it emerged he had been illegally selling railway sleepers.

He had been caught selling the sleepers to a contractor from a site on Dublin’s North Wall.

Labour Transport spokesman Tommy Broughan said it was key that proper oversight of Irish Rail activities was maintained.

He said: "The Baker Tilly report and the other issues that are emerging are concerning and I will be maintaining a close attention to ensuring that these issues are investigated effectively."

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, December 05, 2009


Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/irish...#ixzz0YoDmsx8u

It happened about 2 weeks ago, and the public accounts committee is asking questions. All early retirements have stopped as well.

[Thomas Ralph]

The Irish Examiner is on the ball this week.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...breaking43.htm

FG outlines public pay proposals
ELAINE EDWARDS

Fine Gael has proposed a €1.7 billion cut in the public sector pay bill, through a combination of pay cuts and 10,000 redundancies.

...

Fine Gael said there was “huge scope” to reduce or eliminate ineffective programmes or agencies that are not delivering for the taxpayer and it envisaged savings of about €1.1 billion in this area.

This would be achieved through €386 million in cuts within the “big bureaucracies” such as the HSE, Fás and CIE, through the elimination or merging 150 quangos (€88 million); through cutting payments of professionals and third party procurement ( €431 million) and through €199 million in programme reductions outlined in the McCarthy report on public service spending.

“Wasteful spending on programmes and bodies that don’t deliver are the scourge of the taxpayer. It was unacceptable when our finances were in a healthy condition, it is bordering on criminal to waste such money when vital frontline services are under threat,” said Fine Gael finance spokesman and deputy leader Richard Bruton.

...

[Mark Gleeson]

For those who did not guess yes it was John Keenan

Iarnród Éireann director takes court action to prevent removal from post
In this section »

THE DIRECTOR of human resources at Iarnród Éireann, John Keenan, has brought a High Court action for orders restraining the company taking any steps to remove him from his position of the last 15 years.

Mr Keenan claims he was ordered to leave after Irish Rail chief executive Richard Fearn complained Mr Keenan had failed to speedily inform him about the successful outcome of a gender discrimination complaint brought by an employee.

Oisin Quinn, for Mr Keenan, was yesterday given permission by Mr Justice Roderick Murphy to bring the injunction proceedings next Thursday.

In an affidavit, Mr Keenan said, to his absolute shock and disbelief, he was informed by Mr Fearn on December 2nd last he was “relieving me of my responsibilities” as director of human resources.

Mr Keenan said Mr Fearn told him he was taking this action because he had lost confidence in Mr Keenan owing “solely” to his alleged delay in informing Mr Fearn of the outcome of an Equality Tribunal case (in which an employee secured some €189,000 compensation against Iarnród Éireann).

Mr Fearn had said he would be in contact, but meanwhile Mr Keenan was to take his personal effects and leave. As more than 10 days had elapsed without any further contact, Mr Keenan said he had no option but to bring court proceedings.

Mr Keenan said Mr Fearn had in front of him, during a one-to-one meeting with Mr Keenan on December 2nd last, an Equality Tribunal decision on an employee’s complaint of harassment and victimisation or discrimination on grounds of gender.

That complaint related to a competition for a senior promotional post and the Equality Officer awarded €189,000 compensation for victimisation and discrimination on grounds of gender, Mr Keenan said. He said the harassment complaint directed against him and other HR/equality personnel had failed.

Mr Fearn had said he viewed as very serious that Mr Keenan had not advised him of the decision which issued on November 18th to a CIÉ solicitor who ran the case and to Mr Keenan on November 20th.

Mr Keenan said he explained he received the decision late on Friday, November 20th and had taken it home to read that weekend. In his view, the decision was unsustainable and filled with inaccuracies and he had advised, while nothing could be anticipated with certainty, he had some confidence in an appeal to the Labour Court.

He said Mr Fearn said he wanted a written explanation for the delay in advising him and an external third party would be invited to investigate the case. Mr Keenan said he pointed out the tribunal’s decision would remain private until the week commencing December 14th.

Mr Keenan said he was directed to go to his office, take his personal effects, lock up and hand Mr Fearn the keys. He had challenged this as a wholly inappropriate and disproportionate response and, after he left, he understood extra locks were fitted to his office.

Mr Keenan also said there has been a lengthy and controversial series of events within Iarnród Éireann involving fraudulent practices, originally identified by an investigation undertaken at his discretion in 2005. Evidence emerged of collusion between certain Iarnród Éireann personnel and third-party contractors, and disciplinary actions ensued and dismissals followed, he said. Criminal prosecutions had also resulted in convictions.