A former manager at the Northern Ireland Fisheries Conservancy Board today claimed she was not shortlisted for a post because of her relationship with a Catholic member of staff.
Dr Elaine Hamilton from Cookstown accused the board and its former chief executive, Mr William Smyth, of religious discrimination for failing to shortlist her for the position of fisheries manager in November 1998.
Three years earlier, a claim of unfair dismissal against the FCB by Dr Hamilton, after she was sacked as deputy chief inspector, was settled out of court.
A Fair Employment tribunal heard that when Dr Hamilton applied to rejoin the board she was turned down because of her relationship with Mr Leo McKenna, an employee of more than 30 years standing.
Her barrister, Mr Eamonn McArdle, in his opening statement said that the board had refused to respond when she wrote asking why she had not been shortlisted.
When the Fair Employment Commission wrote asking on her behalf, the board had said it was the unanimous decision of the short-listings panel which included Mr Smyth, that Dr Hamilton was deficient in terms of her relationship with and motivation of staff.
"Dr Hamilton came to the conclusion that the result of this shortlistings exercise in 1998 as in 1995 showed the hand of Mr Smyth, the chief executive at work." Said Mr McArdle.
He said Dr Hamilton did not deny that a sad state of affairs had existed when she worked there but denied that she was responsible for the in-fighting that took place.
Mr McArdle noted that in 1994 Mr Smyth had recommended Dr Hamilton's position be upgraded and by the time of her dismissal in 1995 she had an unblemished record.
PA