Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh withdraws harassment claim against RTÉ

Broadcaster Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh has withdrawn her claim of sexual harassment and victimisation against RTÉ.

Ms Ní Chofaigh had lodged a complaint under the Employment Equality Act against the State broadcaster, alleging discrimination by way of harassment in July 2019 and subsequent victimisation.

Four days of adjudication hearings were slated to begin this morning at the Workplace Relations Commission headquarters at Lansdowne House, Dublin 4.

In a statement read to this morning’s hearing, Ms Ní Chofaigh’s barrister Claire Bruton BL said her client was withdrawing her allegations against RTÉ and her statutory complaints.

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“The claimant accepts the outcome of the RTÉ investigation processes in respect of all matters. The parties confirm they are both satisfied to have reached agreement to draw a line in the sand and move on from these matters in light of their ongoing working relationship,” Ms Bruton said.

Counsel added that no compensation had been paid to Ms Ní Chofaigh in the context of the agreement. Mairéad McKenna SC, who appeared for RTÉ, confirmed the position.

Ms Ní Chofaigh did not attend the hearing, though a number of RTÉ staff and members of the public were present in the public seating.

In May, the tribunal heard Ms Ní Chofaigh would give evidence which would include alleged comments made following a photoshoot, and of being “sidelined in the office” after raising the matter. RTÉ “absolutely” denied the claims.

The WRC was told an internal investigation report included the names of three people, including one “public figure”. Up to a dozen witnesses had been expected to give evidence, including a number of household names.

However, the adjudicating officer in the case, Breiffni O’Neill, made a direction to the media not to name any of the witnesses who gave evidence. Ms Bruton and Ms McKenna had also agreed to use a system of code-names in reference to individuals named in the internal investigation report.

Mr O’Neill also made a direction to the press not to report the identities of any of those named in the report in the event of a “slip-up” by counsel.