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ARTICLE · 13 SEPTEMBER 2019

Ireland Supreme Court Analyzes Disability Accommodation Requirements

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On July 31, 2019, in the case of Nano Nagle School v Daly, the Supreme Court of Ireland delivered its decision in a long-running disability discrimination lawsuit between a paraplegic

IrelandEmployment and HR
Daniel Ornstein
Daniel Ornstein
Jordan B. Glassberg
Jordan B. Glassberg
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On July 31, 2019, in the case of Nano Nagle School v Daly, the Supreme Court of Ireland delivered its decision in a long-running disability discrimination lawsuit between a paraplegic special needs assistant ("SNA") and the school that ended her employment based on her disability. The Court's decision provides a thoughtful analysis of an employer's obligations to accommodate a disability and an interesting comparison to the approach under American law.

Facts

In 1998, Marie Daly began working as an SNA for the Nano Nagle School in Killarney, a school for children with special needs. SNAs are tasked with assisting teachers with various non-teaching functions, such as tidying the classroom, supervising students, escorting students to and from the classroom, and assisting students with using the bathroom, eating, and undressing.

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