A licensed premises has agreed to pay compensation of €3,500 to a customer with a brain tumour after he was mistaken for a drunk when asked to leave the premises.

The man was in the pub celebrating the end of rehabilitative treatment for his brain injury. His condition causes a limp, and this was interpreted by staff as signs of being drunk. Despite explaining his disability directly to staff, the man was asked to leave the premises, which he said “caused him significant distress and embarrassment”.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) provided direct legal representation to the man in his application to the district court for redress under the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003. The matter was settled without court a hearing after the licensed premises agreed to issue a meaningful apology to the man alongside compensation of €3,500.

Furthermore, the management of the premises agreed to attend an annual equality training course and to report back to the IHREC under the agreed settlement, which saw no admission of liability.

Read full article at source: Irish Examiner