OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF EQUALITY INVESTIGATIONS
Equal Status Act 2000
EQUALITY OFFICER'S DECISION NO: DEC-S2002-028
Charles Cullen
V
The Castle Inn, Newtownforbes, Longford
(represented by F.J. Gearty & Co. Solicitors)
File No. ES/2001/515
Date of Issue 27/03/2002
Headnotes:Equal Status Act, 2000 - Discrimination on imputed grounds, Section 3(1)(a) - Race, Section 3 (2) (h) - Membership of the Traveller community, Section 3(2)(i) - Disposal of goods and supply of services, Section 5(1) - Refusal of service in a pub - Activities not discrimination, section 15 (2)
This dispute concerns a claim by Mr. Charles Cullen that he was discriminated against by Mrs. Brigid O'Reilly, proprietor of the Castle Inn pub contrary to the Equal Status Act, 2000, on the grounds that she imputed that he was a member of the Traveller community or that he was a foreigner . The complainant alleges that he was discriminated against by the respondent when he was refused service in her pub on 3 June, 2001. The respondent denies that Mr. Cullen was discriminated against and states that the only reason service was refused in June, 2001 was because she considered that Mr. Cullen was drunk.