The role of National Director for Catechetics and Executive Secretary to the Council for Catechetics at the Irish Episcopal Conference (which is ultimately owned by the Hierarchy General Purposes Trust – HGPT), was awarded to Mr Alex O’Hara in 2021 after he was headhunted by a recruitment agency hired by the bishops.
Last week, both parties met in the WRC in Dublin to present their cases. The WRC was told that the National Director role was merged into a new permanent role of Coordinator for Evangelisation, Catechetics, and Pastoral Renewal. The new role was advertised online, and the then National Director was given the opportunity to apply.
A number of interviews took place, and Mr O’Hara did not get the job. The Chief Operating Officer then contacted him and said they would be willing to offer him an ex-gratia payment at the end of the contract, and asked if Mr O’Hara would like his contract to be extended for a further four/five weeks. The contract was then extended to February 28, 2025.
The bishops’ councillor told the WRC that the allegation of unfair dismissal is off the table, that it was a “legit” reorganisation by the employer, and he [Mr O’Hara] applied for the new role and didn’t get it. The bishop’s councillor said Mr O’Hara was informed in a letter sent in August 2024, that his role would be merged with another, and that his fixed-term contract mentioned duration of employment and dismissal at the end of it.
Mr O’Hara’s councillor told the WRC that a fixed-term contract cannot be renewed more than once after three years. The three-year contract was previously extended from August 21, 2024, to December 31, 2024.
Having the contract extended again to the end of February would mean a second renewal he said. Because of that, it was said that the former Director believes he has “at least 12 months of service” left.
The councillor for the bishops told WRC Mr O’Hara was not made redundant because, although there may be an argument that he should have been, as his role was no longer required – it was merged with another role – the situation didn’t fall under a redundancy case.
If, at the end of the dispute, it is determined Mr O’Hara’s role should have been made redundant, the bishops are happy to pay redundancy, the councillor said.
The adjudication officer will now analyse the case.
The bishops requested a two full-day hearing, as they have witnesses to support their case, that Mr O’Hara’s dismissal was fair and legitimate.
Bishop Ger Nash will be one of the witnesses to be heard.
Mr O’Hara said his wife is undergoing cancer treatment and requested that the case be resolved as quickly as possible.
The adjudication officer agreed with a longer hearing