Thursday, 08 May 2025
09:00 - 13:00
(
4 hours )
In Person
Employment Law in Ireland’s Public Sector is an annual event run by Legal Island and the award-winning Employment Team at Byrne Wallace Shields LLP.
On 8th May, we will focus on the key areas of development over the last 12 to 18 months that are of particular importance to public sector employers.
Why this event and why now?
Employment Law in the Public Sector is an annual event run by Legal Island and the award-winning Employment Team at Byrne Wallace Shields LLP.
Byrne Wallace LLP and LK Shields Solicitors LLP merged on 1st January 2025 to form Byrne Wallace Shields LLP. The merger is one of the largest involving two Irish law firms and has created a firm with over 430 employees – including 220 solicitors. The Employment team at Byrne Wallace Shields LLP is recognised as one of Ireland’s largest and most well-regarded group of employment specialists, with unparalleled experience dealing with the public sector.
On 8th May 2025, we will focus on the key areas of development over the last 12 to 18 months that are of particular importance to public sector employers.
As HR professionals, embracing change means being vigilant about evolving employment laws, streamlining procedures, and developing practices that align with up to date guidance. By doing so, not only do you mitigate risks of legal claims and reputational damage, but you also unlock significant savings in both time and money.
This event is specifically designed with public sector organisations in mind. The experts from the Byrne Wallace Shields LLP Employment Law Team highlight risks and best practice that will help you avoid litigation and save time, money and stress.
Recognised nationally and internationally as a top tier Irish law firm, Byrne Wallace Shields LLP is one of Ireland’s leading advisors to the public sector, advising many government departments, local government, regulatory bodies, and semi-state and public sector organisations including universities, health, education, justice, utilities, environmental, energy, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, marine, culture, transport, tourism and industry bodies.
For over 50 years, the firm have been advising the public sector on their full range of legal needs, and during this time have developed a deep understanding of the environment in which they work, their key challenges and requirements. The firm has a strong culture of excellence and accountability, which resonates with the public sector, and invests substantial resources in providing the highest standard of service, insights and advice to meet, anticipate and exceed their clients’ evolving needs.
The aim is for the conference to be as topical as possible and the programme below may change depending on developments in the area of employment law.
This event is aimed at HR professionals and other persons with an interest in HR and employment law in the public sector and semi-state bodies.
Light breakfast will be provided.
Laura McKee, Knowledge Partner, Legal Island and Emmet Whelan, Partner, Byrne Wallace Shields LLP.
Disciplinary processes can be one of the most challenging areas for any employer, and even more so in the public sector , where the area is more regulated and subject to the oversight of the courts by way of judicial review. In this session, we will look at key cases dealing with areas such as: suspension; fair procedures in investigations, the right to representation, the right to silence, and other key public sector issues in such processes. This will include an analysis of key lessons from recent Supreme Court judgment of O’Sullivan v HSE.
Employment equality is always a key area for public sector employers, as they aim to become an employer of choice for an increasingly diverse workforce. In this session, we will focus on the most important developments in this area, including:
The Protected Disclosures Act 2014 has been in place over ten years now with significant impact on employers in the public sector. In addition, the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 significantly expanded whistleblower protections placing increased obligations on public sector employers. The team at Byrne Wallace Shields has been at the forefront of this area of law, with a specific focus on assisting designated person dealing with protected disclosures in the public sector. This session will provide an update on key challenges facing public sector employers, based on the experience of the BWS team:
In this session, we will examine:
There have been a number of important cases since our last event in 2024. Here are just a few of the top cases we will cover at this year’s event:
This session will cover the most relevant and important employment cases as of May 2025 for public sector employers and, consequently, the actual cases covered may vary from those currently shown.
Round Up and Acknowledgements
Here's what our previous attendees had to say about Employment Law in the Public Sector event.
Loughlin is a Partner in the Byrne Wallace Shields LLP Employment team. He represents and advises clients across the full range of contentious and non-contentious employment law matters. He is former chairperson of the Employment and Equality Law Committee of the Law Society of Ireland.
Rhona Murphy is a consultant in the Byrne Wallace Shields LLP Employment team.
Rhona has many years’ experience working in private practice representing employers, employees and trade unions and advises on all areas of employment law.
Prior to joining Byrne Wallace Shields LLP, Rhona worked in Ibec’s Legal and Equality Unit since 2005, and was appointed Ibec’s Head of Employment Law Services in 2007.
Emmet Whelan is a partner at Byrne Wallace Shields LLP, specialising in employment law. He advises on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious matters, including employment litigation before the Rights Commissioner, Employment Appeals Tribunal, Equality Tribunal, Labour Court, Circuit Court and High Court.
He has lectured on the Employment Law course at Griffith College Dublin and tutored on the Law Society Professional Course. He also regularly provides employment law training and seminars to clients and professional bodies. Emmet has published employment law articles in the Irish Employment Law Journal, Employment Law Review and the Journal of Public Affairs Ireland and is a co-author of the text book, Employment Law, and the Law Society Employment Law Manual.
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