Bullying charges described as 'disgrace'

A senior administrator at St Michael's House, a disability service provider in Dublin, has described as "a disgrace", allegations that there was a culture of bullying at the organisation.

Patricia Doherty was giving evidence at the Employment Appeals Tribunal yesterday on behalf of St Michael's House, in a constructive-dismissal case against the charity.

The case is being taken by Dr Mark Harrold, a senior clinical psychologist who resigned from his post there in 2004. Dr Harrold is alleging a campaign of bullying was orchestrated against him which he says began after he raised concerns about the transfer of a resident to the Leas Cross nursing home.

The resident, Peter McKenna (60), who had Down's Syndrome and Alzheimer's, died in October 2001, two weeks after transfer to Leas Cross.

Leas Cross was the subject of an investigation by the health board and has since closed.

Ms Doherty said she had worked all her 29 working years with St Michael's House and it was "a privilege" to work there.

Asked about the allegation of a bullying culture there - which was also alleged by another former staff member in evidence yesterday - Ms Doherty said: "I completely refute the allegations. I have spent 29 years working there. It's my life's work and I share the enormous passion and belief in the work we do."

She said any outsider who ever visited any of its residential homes was impressed by the "morale and positive energy".

She was "absolutely stunned as to where Dr Harrold found this information [ about a culture of bullying]".

However, Deirdre Kuntz, employed as an assistant house parent from 1980 to 2002, said she was a victim of "elements of bullying" on four occasions between 2000 and 2002.

It began when she asked at a staff meeting how to go about arranging cover if she were to take a bank-holiday Monday off.

"I was quite openly accused of undermining" the head of the house, she said. She felt "intimidated".

There were a number of meetings between her and her superiors where she was asked to retract a statement that her superior, Ann Goodwin, had "displayed elements of bullying".

Ms Kuntz cited further incidents, including a colleague finding a "skills folder" in the staff room, in which the skills of members of staff were rated by management. "They were stating I was competent, partially competent under supervision."

Later she told Tom Mallon, counsel for St Michael's House, she believed the manual had been left out on purpose for staff to find, to defame and undermine her.

Ms Kuntz said she was excluded from staff meetings and her wishes for her career and work were not listened to.

Dr Paul Heslin, a GP and specialist in the impact of bullying, told the tribunal he had seen Dr Harrold twice, in September 2004. It was clear to him, he said, that the alleged bullying was still affecting Dr Harrold, even though he had resigned from St Michael's.

The hearing continues today.