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Director of Galway-based EA Games secures injunction preventing his dismissal
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A director of an Irish subsidiary of video game giant Electronic Arts has secured a High Court injunction preventing his dismissal.
The order was made in favour of Jean Philippe Grenet, who is the director of global delivery service for Electronic Arts Ireland in Galway.
He was initially dismissed for allegedly making an inappropriate comment in a one to one video call with a colleague in November.
Electronic Arts, which opposed the injunction application, claims Mr. Grenet was validly terminated on a no-fault basis in a decision it made on December 10th.
It followed an incident in November, in which Mr. Grenet is alleged to have made an inappropriate comment in a video call to a worker based in Texas.
Mr Grenet accepts the remark was a clumsy, inelegant and ill-advised expression – but says it means he “did not want to challenge” that particular person on a work matter.
However, he claims the complainant is motivated by malice after failing to secure the role he was appointed to – and that EA did not follow correct procedures in dismissing him.
In his judgment, Mr Justice Tony O’Connor said he was satisfied to grant the orders after Mr Grenet’s lawyers had established that there are serious issues to be tried in the case.
He found that the risk of injustice to the parties favoured the granting of the injunction which restrains EA from dismissing him until proceedings have been decided and that he be paid his salary and benefits during that period.
He also directed EA not to appoint any other person to Mr Grenet’s position pending further order.
The Judge also urged the sides to consider having the dispute go to mediation and adjourned the case to a date in January.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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