There was a belief in Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that Francis O’Donnell had a substantive role as a director in the agency to which he could return after he finished his term as its chief executive, an employment tribunal has heard.IFI human resources specialist Pauline McNulty told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) that the issue emerged as part of an internal report on contingent liability for the agency. The report looked at staff on fixed-term or special-purpose contracts who could potentially have an entitlement to redundancy payments.McNulty said there was a discussion among a number of senior IFI human resources personnel at which it was noted that O’Donnell’s substantive position was as a regional director – a role he held before being appointed chief executive in 2020.She was called as a witness on Tuesday on behalf of O’Donnell, who claims in his WRC case that he was unfairly dismissed by IFI and was penalised after making protected disclosures under whistleblower legislation.[ Inland Fisheries Ireland chief executive had suicidal thoughts, doctor tells tribunalOpens in new window ]The WRC has heard that IFI terminated O’Donnell’s position as chief executive in June 2025 but paid up his contract until its expiry date last November. O’Donnell has claimed he was entitled to return to his substantive post as a regional director in IFI. The State fisheries agency disputes this assertion. Cross-examining McNulty at a hearing on Tuesday, IFI’s counsel Tiernan Lowey said an examination of quarterly headcount reports drawn up by the agency contained no reference to a post being held open for O’Donnell. He said the regional director position previously held by O’Donnell was subsequently split into two posts, both of which were filled.McNulty said she was not surprised at this as it would not be practical for the agency to keep open a post for five or possibly 10 years if the chief executive was appointed to two terms. She said such posts would generally be filled and when a person was seeking to return to a substantive post, the agency would use a post that was vacant at the time as long as sufficient funding was available. She said the Department of the Environment, the parent department for IFI, set an annual headcount ceiling that could not be breached.The WRC hearing has now adjourned until mid-September, when former IFI chairwoman Frances Lucey is scheduled to give evidence on behalf of O’Donnell.