Action by ESB worker over ‘security risk’ dismissal is resolved

An action by an ESB worker alleging he was dismissed after being told he was considered a security risk to Irish and UK infrastructure has been resolved, the High Court has heard.

Graham Light last week secured a temporary High Court order preventing termination of his employment from his role as Commercial and Risk Advisor with the ESB's corporate team.

In court documents, Mr Light (36) said he was shocked and upset when told at a meeting on October 11th his employment was being terminated.

He said he has qualifications in insurance, an “exemplary” record and was promoted during his two years employment with the ESB.

He said he was called to a meeting with senior officials on October 11th and was informed an external security team had advised the ESB the gardaí considered him a “person of interest”. He was informed he was believed to be a security risk to Ireland and the UK’s national infrastructure, he said.

Mr Light, of Castlegate Grove, Adamstown, Co Dublin, said he protested the allegations and told the ESB officials he does not even have penalty points for speeding, never mind what was alleged against him. The ESB could not tell him what he was being accused of, he said.

On Friday, lawyers for Mr Light secured an injunction preventing the ESB giving effect to his purported dismissal or stopping payment of his salary and benefits.

The interim injunction was granted on an ex-parte basis (one side only represented) by Ms Justice Marie Baker and listed for Wednesday. Mr Justice Paul Gilligan was told it had been resolved and could be struck out.

‘Draconian’

In granting the interim order last week, Ms Justice Marie Baker remarked what happened appeared “draconian”.

Ercus Stewart SC, with John Curran BL, for Mr Light, said he had "never come across" a situation like this "in his entire career".

In his affidavit, Mr Light said he was given a letter at the meeting which stated he posed a risk to critical national infrastructure in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain, and October 11th 2017 was the last day of his employment with the ESB.

The meeting was also attended by a union official, who said what was happening was highly irregular, unfair and the union had never come across something like this before, he said.

The official with the Energy Services Union had asked if Mr Light, who had worked with the ESB for almost two years, could be reassigned to another department within the ESB but the company responded that could not be done, Mr Light said.

Mr Light said he was told the ESB was open to him resigning instead of being fired. He said he was asked if he would agree to accept some money to find a new job and offered a reference that was merely a statement of employment rather than the standard ESB reference.

The purported dismissal was hugely damaging and caused irreparable harm to his career and reputation, he said.