From top: Gemma O’Doherty and solicitor Paul Tweed this morning and the statement from Independent News and Media.
Journalist Gemma O’Doherty has settled her action against Independent Newspapers at the Employment Appeals Tribunal this morning following an undisclosed settlement and apology from INM above.
Ms O’Doherty was fired from the irish Independent after doorstepping then Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.
Previously: Gemma O’Doherty on Broadsheet
Update:
Statement from Gemma O’Doherty this morning.
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Must be some amount of dirty linen down at the SINDO & a dreadful fear of it being washed in public……well done Gemma
I’d say that’s a nice Christmas present!
Well done!
A great vindication of her excellent work. All journalists should follow her example and have the guts to stand up to vested interests and editors who are lap dogs of billionaires.
anyone know how much she got?
Undisclosed amount, plus they have to pay her legal fees.
I’m _guessing_ both will be 6-figure sums… but it won’t make up the stress of getting fired for doing the right thing – will INM publish this apology too?
thanks Zara, I totally forgot how to read there…
Well done Gemma! INM are a disgrace.
Gwan the Gemma! Journalism is not dead no matter how hard INM try to kill it.
G’wan Gemma !!
I hope the payout didn’t come with a gagging order.
They usually do.
That’s why I hate settlements like this. Wish she would have taken it all the way and aired the dirty laundry.
+1
I don’t disagree but to be fair- this is quite obviously a total and complete capitulation on the part of INM. To settle, pay all her legal fees and say that she was an excellent journalist who did great work is a complete admission by INM that they were 110% in the wrong. Really, all they’ve achieved is minimizing her legal fees going forward by not letting her incur any more (i.e. by stopping things and holding their hands up). Very, very embarrassing for them. Their unqualified apology, settlement and payment of fees is an absolute admission that they know they would have lost if it continued. Good for her.
I think they have succeeded in shutting her up a bit, i reckon she had a lot more to reveal about the cosy relationship between AGS and INM, the indo being largely a PR outlet for the guards.
Fantastic news! Great that abusive employers don’t get to ride roughshod over employees but are actually called to account.
My employer is really abusive i wonder could i sue them?
you could always ring employee welfare, they usually come in and do an inspection. if anything it’ll put the sh!ts up your boss :-) citizens information are very helpful too
Good to know.
completely anonymous too. nothing like watching your boss suck upto the inspector after being a twat to you all morning
I am glad Gemma won but why take the settlement and not drag INM to court in public so everyone can see what they are really like?
The chunk of cash might have something to do with that! Well done Gemma!
Guarantee of cold hard cash today (ish) if she settled.
Guarantee of drawn out proceedings if she didn’t. Whilst INM most likely had stuff to hide, they probably also had deeper pockets to keep a trial going with a load of procedural stuff that Gemma mightn’t have had the cash to do. Also, there’s no guarantee that the damages from the court case would be higher than what she was offered today.
In an ideal world, if she knew (100%) her legal costs weren’t going to be a problem, it might have been worth going the whole hog, but ’tis no ideal world we live in.
I hope one of her settlement conditions was that they publish the apology in their newspaper. Readers deserve to know what toe rags they are supporting.
INM sack Gemma O Doherty, and keep employing Niamh Horan??
They wonder why readership & sales are dropping??
Niamh Horan is an excellent… Naw sorry I can’t keep a straight face!!
Im sure if Niamh had discovered those pulse records her first reaction would have been “Green? A Green Megane?? Are you serious???” Followed by a sexual euphemism.
Glad to hear this. Fair play to O’ Doherty for not being intimidated by INM.
A well deserved Christmas present! Given INM’s debt restructuring, is this effectively taxpayers money?
There needs now to be a comprehensive investigation into Independent Newspapers as to how it maniuplated news and public opinion for years
Gemma O’Doherty is only the tip of the iceberg and indeed the
name of the rag need to renamed the “Dependent” given its current
finanancial position, as to having the Goverment taking action…nil
but the people can, by “boycotting” everything connected with INM
Gemma O’Doherty is to be congratulated on her stance, she took
into the public domain the information that brought down a Commissioner
and his boss the Minister for Justice and will take others in due course.
Then there is the silence of the rest of media in this little Republic, it took
the Guardian to air it initially….what else is being covered up…..can certain
sections of the Irish Media be Trusted… NO
The treatment of Joe McAnthony needs attention too….remember him…?