A Co Tipperary hotel has been ordered to pay six Traveller women €2,000 each in compensation after they were refused entry to a nightclub. The six women took the case against Norvale Ltd, trading as Hearne's Hotel/Vault Bar, Clonmel.
An Equality Officer of the Office of the Director of Inequality Investigations found that the women had been discriminated against. In December 2000, the six women sought admission to the nightclub and were refused, despite having had a meal earlier in the hotel. They complained that they were refused entry on the grounds that they were members of the Traveller community.
The hotel management maintained that the women were not discriminated against but were refused admission by the nightclub manager as it appeared that some of them had excess drink taken.
The hotel representatives had also stated that a notice regarding a private function was displayed at the entrance to the nightclub. This was confirmed by the women. Evidence was given that, a few minutes after the initial refusal of entry, the notice had disappeared from the door and the barman had stated to one of the women that no private function was being held there that night.
The Equality Officer was told that the hotel and nightclub diary for functions had disappeared, that video evidence had not been kept and that none of the bar staff who were working on the night in question had provided evidence.
She found that the complainants had made a prima facie case of discrimination and that the respondent had "not produced any credible evidence to support his case or any credible evidence to contradict the evidence submitted by the complainant".
She ruled that €2,000 be paid to each of the complainants for the effects of discrimination and ordered that the respondent take immediate steps to review customer services to ensure that they were fully compliant with the requirements of the Equal Status Act.