Labour Court caseload down 11% in 2025
The number of appeals and referrals to the Labour Court last year fell by 11% compared with 2024, according to its annual report.
Of the 992 received, 775 (78%) were appeals of employment-rights decisions and 217 (22%) were referrals under industrial-relations legislation.
Writing in the report, however, chair Louise O’Donnell said that the drop did not necessarily equate to a reduction in workload.
She cited the increasing complexity and sitting days needed to complete some appeals.
Industrial stability
In 2025, the court dealt with industrial disputes covering a total of around 21,000 workers.
O’Donnell pointed out that this figure rose to more than 90,000 when the body’s role in making Employment Regulation Orders was included.
“This highlights the crucial role that the ‘court of last resort’ plays in maintaining the industrial stability of the country,” she stated.
O’Donnell was appointed chair last year after the departure of Kevin Foley.
Technology benefits
The report shows that the court scheduled just over 1,000 hearings last year, with 53 held in its virtual courtroom.
It also heard 35 cases using a hybrid courtroom facility, which allows parties or witnesses who cannot attend a hearing in person to join it using technology.
“This technology has allowed hearings to take place that otherwise could have been delayed, as witnesses would have been required to travel to Ireland for the hearing,” the chair said.
Some of the significant appeals before the court dealt with age discrimination, the consideration of reinstatement as a remedy, and the application of the Karshan tests on employment status.