The Equality Tribunal has awarded €3,000 to a disabled man who was harassed by Iarnrod Éireann staff on the Cork to Thurles line, reports breakingnews.ie.Wheelchair user William Hennessy said new rules introduced by Iarnrod Eireann in 1999 meant he had to travel in the dining car of the train in a designated wheelchair area. However, his motorised wheelchair was too large to fit in the designated area of some of the trains and he was refused permission to travel on a number of occasions.
He also complained that the dining-car staff resented him and claimed the food trolley was rammed up against him and that staff would gather in a group and point over and refer to him. One occasion, Mr Hennessy claimed an egg was thrown at him from the dining car when he got off the train in Thurles.
