A Co Galway leisure centre was found guilty of discriminating against a Traveller by refusing him entry to play in a soccer competition.
In the first case taken against a leisure centre under the Equal Status Act, Gort Community Council was ordered to pay £500 compensation to Mr John Donovan. The centre was also directed to put an appeal system in place for people refused membership or the use of its facilities.
Mr Donovan claimed he was discriminated against because he is a Traveller.
Gort Community Council Ltd, which runs the leisure centre, denied the allegation. It claimed it did not identify Mr Donovan as a member of the Traveller community and that he was excluded because of past behaviour. The council also claimed it does not have a discriminatory policy against Travellers.
The case, investigated by the Office of the Director of Equality Investigation, arose following an incident on November 6th, 2000, when Mr Donovan was refused entry to a soccer competition due to take place in the centre.
The investigating equality officer concluded the complainant had established a prima facie case of discrimination and that the respondent did not succeed in rebutting the inference of discrimination.
Mr Martin Collins, deputy director of Pavee Point, said the case showed the legislation worked.
Judge Harvey Kenny has ordered that two Traveller families be evicted from Mayo County Council property beside the fire station in Castlebar. He granted an injunction to the council to evict both families, and ordered them not to park within a five-mile radius of Castlebar and a three-mile radius of any other town in Mayo. The Travellers' solicitors intend to seek a judicial review.
