Tribunal Dismisses Whistleblower Claim by Flute Teacher
Hugh Rance, a long-serving flute teacher at the Cork Education and Training Board (CETB) School of Music, has announced his intention to appeal a recent ruling by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The tribunal rejected his claim under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, finding that his concerns about the alleged misuse of public funds did not qualify as a protected disclosure.
Mr Rance had argued that vacant teaching hours were contributing to wasteful expenditure at the State-funded music school, but the WRC ruled his complaints were not sufficient to meet the legal threshold. The adjudication officer described the matter as a personal grievance between Mr Rance and his line manager, rather than a protected act under the legislation.
Allegations of Wasted Resources and Poor Student Recruitment
During a WRC hearing in August 2023, Mr Rance, representing himself, claimed that both he and several colleagues were paid for extensive teaching hours despite low student enrolment. He reported that up to 63% of his own hours were unfilled, costing the State around €50,000 annually.
The issue, he claimed, stemmed from a 2011 change which transferred responsibility for student recruitment from teachers to central administrative staff. Mr Rance alleged that the ineffective recruitment strategy resulted in severe underutilisation of teaching staff, with some having as few as 11 students instead of the expected 30 to 40.
Disputed Emails and Reaction from CETB Management
In September 2023, Mr Rance emailed a school manager highlighting the fiscal consequences of poor student recruitment, but the message bounced back as the manager had left the organisation. He subsequently contacted the CETB Chief Executive, Denis Leamy, asking him to personally address the issues raised.
Mr Leamy acknowledged the existence of vacant hours but said they were already known and did not amount to a new issue. He also claimed Mr Rance’s repeated references to Freedom of Information and data access requests had placed a significant administrative burden on staff. CETB concluded that Mr Rance’s email did not qualify as a protected disclosure and denied any retaliation.
Tribunal Decision and Plans for Appeal
School principal Carol Daly told the WRC she was unaware of Mr Rance’s original email until mid-2024 and strongly denied allegations of gross mismanagement. She attributed a decline in flute lesson popularity to Covid-related concerns about shared instruments and defended the school’s ongoing efforts to re-engage the public through promotional campaigns.
CETB finance director Enda McWeeney reviewed the correspondence but determined the claims were too vague to constitute a protected disclosure. Adjudication officer Patsy Doyle ultimately concluded that the matter represented a workplace disagreement rather than a whistleblowing case. Mr Rance has since stated he is seeking legal advice and intends to appeal the decision to the Labour Court.
