Virgin Media have been granted permission to challenge the decision made in their legal battle with Sinéad Desmond.
The former Ireland AM presenter quit her role back in 2017, after an alleged row over the gender pay gap between herself and her male co-hosts Mark Cagney and Alan Hughes.
Sinéad, who worked on the popular morning show for 11 years, is believed to have been earning much less than her male co-workers.
Back in October, the Workplace Relations Commission made a decision in Sinéad favour in the equal pay case, but her former employers will now challenge that decision in the High Court.
According to The Irish Mail On Sunday back in October, lawyers for Virgin Media, formerly TV3, argued that the pay gap was a case of “established national profile” and “star power”, not gender.
They reportedly argued that Mark Cagney was the show’s “star anchor”, which “put him in a position of considerable commercial advantage in his negotiations with the broadcaster”.
According to the Irish Independent, lawyer Conor Power SC has since claimed that his clients had not been put on notice that there was to be a preliminary decision on the issue.
He said: “It has been determined in a vacuum on papers in circumstances where neither party were on notice this was for adjudication by means of a preliminary decision.”
Mr Justice Charles Meenan said he was satisfied there were sufficient grounds to grant leave for judicial review, according to the publication.
He also acknowledged a letter put to the court that indicated the WRC had a “different view” on the case compared to Virgin Media.
Sinéad’s claim is likely to be delayed as a result of the High Court case.
