OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF EQUALITY INVESTIGATIONS
Equal Status Act 2000
EQUALITY OFFICER'S DECISION NO: DEC-S2002- 118
Denis Harrington
(represented by the Equality Authority )
-V-
Mustang Sallys
(represented by Niall Brosnan & Co, Solicitors )
File No. ES/2001/203
Date of Issue 1/11/2002
Key words: Equal Status Act 2000 - Direct discrimination, section 3(1)(a) - Membership of the Traveller community, section 3(2)(i) - Supply of goods and services, section 5(1) - Refusal of admission to pub
This dispute concerns a complaint by Denis Harrington that he sought access to Mustang Sallys on three occasions in December 2000 and was refused admission by the same doorman each time. The complainant maintains that he was discriminated against on the Traveller community ground in terms of sections 3(1) and 3(2)(i) of the Equal Status Act 2000 in not being provided with a service which is generally available to the public contrary to Section 5(1) of the Act. The respondents totally rejected that they operate a discriminatory policy against Travellers. They maintained that the complainant was refused access initially because he was not a regular and subsequently because he had been abusive to doorstaff.