Latest news with #McGuinness
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
€12k compensation for mum not allowed return to role held before maternity leave
A Monaghan-based renewable energy firm has been ordered to pay over €12,000 to a former employee who was not allowed to return to the role she held prior to going on maternity leave. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruled that Eurotech Renewables Limited of Castleblayney, Co Monaghan has discriminated against former worker, Leanne McGuinness, on grounds of family status. Ms McGuinness, who joined the company in February 2020, claimed she was not allowed to return to the role of administration manager that she held prior to going on her second period of maternity leave. A representative of Eurotech Renewables denied the claim and maintained that the complainant had been temporarily laid off due to various economic reasons that had nothing to do with her maternity leave. In evidence, Ms McGuinness said it was agreed that she would work a four-day week after she returned to work in November 2021 following an earlier period of maternity leave. She told the WRC that her role was filled by a temporary employee when she commenced her second period of maternity leave in December 2022. Ms McGuinness said she was phoned by a company director shortly before she was due to return to work in September 2023 to state that he had a new role for her. However, she was informed by the director two days before her scheduled return that the company could not afford to take her back 'at the moment'. However, Ms McGuinness said the correspondence ended with the director saying that Eurotech Renewables was 'regretful and saddened to have to let you go from the company', which she took to mean that she was dismissed. The WRC heard she wrote back to the company to express her shock but also to state that she was fully entitled to return to work in her original post 'if the new role is not there'. Ms McGuinness said the director told her by phone that her old role was not available as it was being filled by another person on a full-time basis. However, she said the director wrote to her again in October 2023 in which he stated that she had been placed on temporary lay-off but that a new role of 'service department receptionist' was available. Ms McGuinness said she believed the company was seeking to re-classify her dismissal as a temporary lay-off to limit 'their obvious legal exposure'. She outlined how she was given a deadline to respond to the offer of the alternative role, which she ignored and instead submitted a complaint to the WRC. Ms McGuinness said she had suffered a series of discriminatory acts, including when she was informed that she could not return to her former role after her maternity leave was over as a consequence of her former four-day arrangement. She also claimed the offer of the alternative role represented a demotion. However, Eurotech Renewables said Ms McGuinness had requested that she could return to a part-time role on her return to work in September 2023. The company claimed it was agreed that she would return to a customer service role when her request could not be accommodated. It maintained it experienced a significant downturn in its business around the same time and noted three other staff were also placed on a temporary lay-off. Eurotech Renewables said Ms McGuinness was also the first person to be contacted about a return to work following such lay-offs but she did not respond. WRC adjudication officer, Brian Dolan, said any reasonable employer in the circumstances of the case would have allowed Ms McGuinness return to the same role and offered the alternative position to the recently-hired member of staff. Mr Dolan noted that the company had not removed Ms McGuinness as an employee with the relevant authorities even though correspondence to her had read 'much like a letter of dismissal'. He concluded that Ms McGuinness was placed on unpaid lay-off before any other staff member solely on the basis of her absence due to maternity leave. Mr Dolan said she was presented with her removal from work as a fait accompli and was offered no real opportunity to advocate for her return to employment. He also observed that her former role was not considered for lay-off by the company. 'It is apparent that the complainant suffered discrimination on the grounds of availing of maternity leave,' said Mr Dolan. He ordered the company to pay €12,480 – the equivalent of six months' pay – to Ms McGuinness in compensation for the effects of the discrimination.
Extra.ie
5 days ago
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Jim McGuinness: 'We didn't turn up in defeat to Tyrone'
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness believes that the review of Saturday's two-point defeat to Tyrone will be 'difficult' as he lamented how his team didn't turn up at all in Ballybofey. The result leaves the Ulster champions on the back foot in their group, and they need to beat a buoyant Cavan in Breffni Park next Sunday to get back on track. 'We didn't turn up at all. We didn't play, that's the bottom line. We didn't play, for whatever reason, and we were still two points up with seven minutes left on the clock,' McGuinness said. 'That's not us. It's not even remotely close to us. Everything was off. It will be a difficult review, I imagine. With seven minutes to go, we were in a position to win the game and we should have won the game. We have to live with that and it's all up for grabs now.' Cormac Quinn of Tyrone celebrates kicking a late point during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1 match between Donegal and Tyrone. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile Tyrone are in a strong position in the group as they welcome Mayo to Healy Park next Saturday. Meanwhile, Cork will need to improve around midfield if they are to get anything out of their second group game when Kerry come to town next weekend. Rebels boss John Cleary felt that losing the battle in the middle third was why Meath emerged victorious. 'They got the grips around the middle definitely,' admitted Cleary. 'And I think that was ultimately why they won the game, really. We had a lot of that possession in the first half and possession was key out there. Scores were at a premium, the weather turned terrible but, once you had possession, you were denying the other team a chance to get a score.' Louth will need to bounce back swiftly after they were beaten by Monaghan in Newbridge. The Leinster champions now face Down in a crucial group game in Newry next weekend that could decide second in the group.
Belfast Telegraph
6 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Donegal simply failed to produce as Tyrone sensed blood in the water, raps fuming boss Jim McGuinness
Tyrone hopscotched over the border to hand McGuinness his first defeat in Ballybofey as Donegal manager in Championship or League football. Malachy O'Rourke's men sensed blood – and Peter Harte's superb two-pointer provided the fatal blow as Tyrone finished with a flourish. Donegal, without No.1 goalkeeper Shaun Patton, seemed vulnerable, and Seanie O'Donnell's two first-half goals laid the platform for Tyrone to upset the off-form Ulster champions. 'There was blood in the water and Tyrone sensed that, and they pushed more and more and more players on,' McGuinness said afterwards. The Donegal manager said there were 'no excuses here at all'. It was a simple case that Donegal 'just didn't produce', but for O'Rourke and Tyrone, there was something of redemption at a wintry MacCumhaill Park. Sheets of rain lashed down from thick black clouds as the Red Hands showed again that they can compete. An Ulster Semi-Final only slipped away when Rory Grugan snatched victory after the buzzer for All-Ireland champions Armagh. 'We were waiting for a display like that, to be honest,' O'Rourke – the only Ulster manager to have beaten McGuinness in Championship football – enthused. 'We knew that it was going to be a really gritty performance as well as a quality one to get something. 'The boys showed real character there as well. We went behind a couple of times in the second-half, but they simply refused to give in – and that was the most heartening thing.' O'Donnell batted to the net after eight minutes when he seized the moment as Caolan McGonagle couldn't hold onto a dropping ball in by Michael McKernan. Tyrone survived an early scare when Niall Morgan flicked over a thundering drive by the excellent Michael Langan. Donegal were stunned when Tyrone added a second goal as O'Donnell rifled past Gavin Mulreany after Conn Kilpatrick's telling surge from deep. Michael Murphy nailed a 50m free for two points to get Donegal back in the mix and the Glenswilly giant landed another long-ranger with the night in the melting pot. Tyrone, with Darren McCurry proving a real handful, led 2-07 to 0-11 at half-time. McCurry continued where he left off to stretch the lead on the resumption. Langan and Murphy – who posted 15 points between them – scored two-pointers in swift succession, however, and the pendulum appeared to swing Donegal's way when Patrick McBrearty sailed over a monster from the stand side. 'We were in a position to win the game and we should have won the game,' McGuinness lamented. 'We couldn't get our hands on the ball, and when we did get our hands on the ball, we didn't take care of the ball – that's it in a nutshell. 'Even at that, we were two points up with seven minutes to go and we gave the ball away and we never got the ball back again.' When Harte took aim with three minutes left, Tyrone – even with Brian Kennedy and Padraig Hampsey going off injured – were set up for victory. O'Rourke said: 'We just held our composure, held our nerve, worked really hard for each other and got some quality scores. 'We just kept battling and showed brilliant character and showed great composure to eke out the win, and we're delighted with that. 'That's what we're trying to grow, a really strong panel and everybody fighting for a place, and so it's a great step forward.' Scorers, Donegal: M Murphy (3 2ptf, 1f, 1 '45) 0-08; M Langan 0-07; C Thompson (1f), P McBrearty 0-02 each, R McHugh 0-01. Tyrone: D McCurry (1 2ptf, 2f) 0-07; S O'Donnell 2-00; D Canavan (2f), P Harte 0-02 each; M McKernan, K McGeary, M Brennan, B McDonnell, C Daly, C Quinn 0-01 each. Donegal: G Mulreany; F Roarty, B McCole, E Gallagher; R McHugh, C McGonagle, C Moore; H McFadden, M Langan; D Ó Baoill, C Thompson, S O'Donnell; C O'Donnell, M Murphy, O Gallen. Subs: O McFadden Ferry for McGonagle (31), E McHugh for Ó Baoill (HT), P McBrearty for McFadden (42), P Mogan for O'Donnell (50), O Doherty for Gallagher (60). Tyrone: N Morgan; C Quinn, P Hampsey, N Devlin; M McKernan, R Brennan, K McGeary; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; S O'Donnell, M Donnelly, C Daly; D McCurry, M Bradley, D Canavan. Subs: P Teague for Hampsey (35), B McDonnell for Kennedy (HT), P Harte for Donnelly (53), E McElholm for Bradley (55), F Burns for Brennan (57).
The Irish Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Tyrone stun Donegal as Peter Harte hands Jim McGuinness first Ballybofey loss
JIM McGuinness was beaten in Ballybofey as Donegal manager for the first time in league or championship as Peter Harte's two-pointer sealed a dramatic Tyrone win. Malacy O'Rourke - the only man to beat McGuinness in six seasons in the Ulster SFC with Monaghan in 2013 - saw his team lead the way for the most part and then stave off a late 2 Tyrone stunned the Ulster champions as they fell to defeat at home for the first time in sixteen games 2 Tyrone manager Malachy O'Rourke shakes hands with Donegal manager Jim McGuinness after his side's win Peter Harte's two-pointer with three minutes to play finally swung it Tyrone's way. And a late Cormac Quinn point put the seal on a three-point win for McGuinness's first loss in 16 at MacCumhaill Park, in his two stints stretching back to 2011. Harte's score was reminiscent of the 2016 belter in On an evening for ponchos, sunglasses and woolly hats, the weather was unpredictable and on the field, things were probably going against the grain as well. READ MORE ON GAA While Donegal edged their way past Armagh on a 2-23 to 0-18 scoreline in the Ulster SFC two weeks ago. Tyrone had been watching on, having run the But the result shows that you can never get too far ahead of yourself in the northern province and the teams who go deep into it come away with bumps and bruises. With Shaun Patton having put in a decent warm-up but missing out with an ankle injury. Most read in GAA Football Donegal had lost a foundation from the restarts and Tyrone's Seanie O'Donnell's two first-half goals gave Tyrone a foothold from which they could climb. The first of those came on eight minutes when he punched past Gavin Mulreany when Caolan McGonagle failed to get a proper hold of a raking ball in from Michael McKernan. Sharlene Mawdsley encounters unexpected headache on first trip abroad since GAA boyfriend reveal O'Donnell seemed to be popping up here, there, and everywhere and on 24 minutes he scored his second. This time he came from deep on the run and with Mark Bradley supplying the lay-off, went for power and although Mulreany got something behind it, he couldn't stop it going home due to its sheer power. Donegal were 2-3 to 0-4 down, at sixes and sevens, and Tyrone looked dangerous time and again. Michael Murphy was the one the bulk of those in the home support of 16,120 turned to and Michael Murphy was the one who delivered. Two monster frees against the wind - both worth two in the current currency as they say these days - were meat and drink for the Tiktokers. But Donegal were clawing their way back. Darren McCurry, with a two-pointer, and Kieran McGeary hit two late first-half points for the visitors, with Tyrone going in 2-7 to 0-11 in front. A Ciaran Thompson point took Donegal back to within one, but the moving quarter didn't happen. They would post four wides in succession, and Tyrone would post four points to move into a five-point lead of 2-11 to 0-12. Ben McDonnell, Darragh Canavan and their scoring constant, McCurry, was the one to help things tick along in times of trouble. Murphy, 11 minutes after Donegal's only second-half score, was typically the man to get them going, with another two-pointer from a free. If the 2012 All-Ireland winning captain was almost single-handedly keeping his team in it, Langan was certainly the one playing the support act. A minute later, by now at the midpoint of the second half, he slung over from outside the arc and Donegal were back to just the one down again, before Langan himself equalised. The trajectory now seemed to be Donegal's and second half substitute Patrick McBrearty lamped over another two-pointer and Donegal were 0-20 to 2-12 in front woith just eight left. But when it was in the melting pot, it was Tyrone who graped the initiative to post a huge win. With Cavan winning in Mayo last week to instantly scattered the pigeons and two into one never going to happen with Donegal and Tyrone. Things might not always turn out as they seem. DONEGAL 0-20 TYRONE 2-17 Donegal: G Mulreany; F Roarty, B McCole, E Gallagher; R McHugh (0-1), C McGonagle, C Moore; H McFadden, M Langan (0-7); D Ó Baoill, C Thompson (0-2, 1f), S O'Donnell; C O'Donnell, M Murphy (0-8, 3 2pt f, 1f, 1 '45), O Gallen. Subs: O McFadden-Ferry for McGonagle (31). Subs: E McHugh for Ó Baoill (half-time), P McBrearty (0-2) for McFadden (42), P Mogan for O'Donnell (50), O Doherty for Gallagher (60). Tyrone: N Morgan; C Quinn (0-1), P Hampsey, N Devlin; M McKernan (0-1), R Brennan, K McGeary (0-1); B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; S O'Donnell (2-0), M Donnelly, C Daly (0-1); D McCurry (0-7, 1 2pt f, 2f), M Bradley (0-1), D Canavan (0-2f). Subs: B McDonnell (0-1) for Kennedy (h-r), P Harte (0-2) for Donnelly (53), E McElholm for Bradley (55), F Burns for Brennan (57). Referee: M McNally (Monaghan)
West Australian
23-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Australia must prepare for Hollywood-style cyber attack
Australia has yet to suffer a critical, Hollywood-style cyber security incident, according to the nation's top online cop, but our defences are being tested and criminals grow in number. The rate of cyber attacks against Australian businesses may also be higher than statistics indicate, she warned as small businesses continue bearing the brunt of financial losses. National Cyber Security Co-ordinator Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness issued the warnings at the AusCERT Cyber Security Conference on the Gold Coast on Friday, while also promising public consultation to inform future online safety policies. The event has drawn 900 delegates and comes a month after large superannuation firms were targeted in a co-ordinated online attack and less than a year after 12.9 million Australians had private information stolen in the Medisecure hack. Despite a growing number of attacks on large Australian organisations including healthcare, telecommunications and legal firms, Lt Gen McGuinness told the audience none had damaged the nation's critical infrastructure or had a lasting impact. "Australia has seen the dark side of significant cyber incidents such as Optus, Medibank, Latitude Financial, HWL Ebsworth, Ramsay Health Care and Medisecure (but) we are actually yet to see a catastrophic cyber incident with impacts across multiple critical infrastructure sectors," she said. "We must continue to evolve and thrive to ensure that those scenes we see in Hollywood never actually eventuate." The most recent high-profile cyber attack in which criminals stole $750,000 from 10 AustralianSuper accounts had been the result of a "credential-stuffing attack", Lt Gen McGuinness confirmed, involving criminals using passwords leaked from another data breach. Financial losses from the attack were "relatively small" but aimed at a large financial market, she said, and should serve as a reminder for all parties to bolster online defences. The Annual Cyber Threat Report released in November found Australian cyber crime reports grew by 12 per cent in 2024 and the cost of attacks to individuals grew by 17 per cent to an average of $30,700. Cyber crime's cost to businesses fell by eight per cent according to the report, but Lt Gen McGuinness said the true cost of online crime was likely to be significantly higher given most Australian businesses were categorised as small and lost an average of $49,600 per incident. "These businesses don't have the staff and the resources to have dedicated IT professionals or security functions, let alone the capacity to respond to an incident without help," she said. "Our adversaries also know this." Australian businesses of all sizes should develop and practise incident response plans to avoid data theft, she said, and should refrain from paying ransoms demanded by criminals if possible to avoid being re-targeted. The Australian Cyber Security Strategy, launched in November 2023, is due to be updated by 2026 to address a broader range of cyber security investments, and a public consultation will be launched in the coming months.
