Two counsellors from the Cork Rape Crisis Centre have taken High Court action alleging they were bullied in their workplace.
Catherine O’Mahoney and Josephine O’Sullivan Linehan claim they were treated unfairly by their employer after complaining to the Health Service Executive (HSE) that they had not been paid entitlements worth about €10,000. It’s understood the women are currently on sick leave.
Established in 1983, the centre, which trades as the Sexual Violence Centre Cork, provides counselling and support for victims of sexual abuse and violence. Last week, Mary Crilly, its director, said she had no comment about the separate legal actions.
A spokesman for the HSE said the matter was one for the centre’s board. The centre has received €944,550 from the HSE in the last three years and is due another €290,490 this year.
In a letter from its solicitors, GJ Moloney, the centre said no specific allocation had been received from the HSE to be used for employee pension contributions.
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“If that was the intent of the HSE, our client has no knowledge of [it],” the solicitors said. “In any event all pension contributions to employee pension schemes have been made where the employee has provided details of relevant Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs).”
According to the solicitors, two employees had not provided the centre with details of their PRSAs despite repeated requests. They said that funds available for those pension contributions remained “intact” and “ring-fenced”. The centre could only legally make payments to approved pension schemes.
The solicitors denied there were any current allegations of bullying. “Complaints of bullying were investigated by an independent third party who determined that the complaints were not well founded,” they said.
Both the High Court cases filed by the women last month claim personal-injury damages arising from bullying. A solicitor representing both counsellors declined to comment.
Crilly was one of the founders of the rape crisis centre in Cork, the second in the country.
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According to O’Mahoney’s online profile she specialises in grief, loss and trauma counselling. O’Sullivan Linehan’s profile states she has 12 years’ experience counselling rape and abuse victims.