Paul Byrne and Virgin Media agree to mediate dispute over disciplinary process and suspension

The matter was mentioned before Judge Mark Sanfey on Tuesday, who was told the matter could be adjourned for a month as the parties had agreed to try to mediate the dispute.

The judge, who had previously suggested that the parties seek to resolve their differences out of court, agreed to postpone the matter until June.

The court previously heard that Mr Byrne was suspended from his role following a live report he made on the afternoon of February 9 last into the death of a child in County Waterford.

Mr Byrne, the court heard, had stated that a line of inquiry gardaí were considering as part of the investigation into the boy’s death was that the boy had allegedly been drowned and placed in a car.

The claim was published after Byrne verified it with at least two credible sources and after two other media outlets published the same information. While she had believed the information to be credible, it later turned out to be untrue.

Disciplinary Process

Shortly afterward, he claims his employer suspended him for allegedly violating the station’s news guidelines and production manual, because he had allegedly not spoken to his immediate superior about the matter before broadcast.

The disciplinary process, he claims, could lead to his dismissal for alleged serious misconduct. He denies any wrongdoing and claims that the process brought by his employer is flawed, punitive, disproportionate and should be set aside.

He also claims that the process lacks credibility and violates his contractual rights. As part of the process, he claims, he was asked to attend a disciplinary hearing, which he claimed he was unable to attend for medical reasons.

He fears that the outcome of this meeting, which was suspended after the opening of the procedure, could have had serious repercussions for his employment and reputation.

As a result, last month he commenced High Court proceedings seeking an injunction restraining Virgin Media Ireland Ltd and Virgin Media Television Limited from continuing with disciplinary proceedings against him.

He also seeks orders requiring the defendants to pay his salary and benefits, lift his suspension, and not appoint anyone to carry out Mr. Byrne’s duties.

The court heard that in the correspondence the defendants reject Mr Byrne’s claims against them and the disciplinary process itself.

They said that given its role as a public broadcaster, they consider the alleged breach to be “serious in nature” and informed him that “steps must be taken to prevent its recurrence.”