February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Michael McNicholas, originally from County Mayo, was also granted an injunction against Enterprise Ireland appointing anyone to his position.
McNicholas’s affidavit stated that he accepted a four-year contract in 1996 as manager for consumer products with Enterprise Ireland’s predecessor, the Irish Trade Board.
When his contract ended he considered other career opportunities and was encouraged to work for Enterprise Ireland.
McNicholas, who signed a contract in September 2000, told the Echo on Tuesday that he “cannot comment while the case is ongoing.”
In 2001, according the affidavit, he was given further responsibilities.
That contract made him eligible to apply for promotion and he applied for other positions in the organization. That privilege was available only to permanent staff.
When Enterprise Ireland Americas CEO John Corrigan retired in June 2002, McNicholas’s affidavit stated that he was “sidelined” and that the current director, Marina Donohue, was appointed to head the organization’s Americas operations.
He states in the affidavit that at this point he started to suffer from stress.
In January, McNicholas alleged in his affidavit, Donohue suggested to him that his contract was due to expire on July 31 and he told her that his understanding was that he was a permanent employee and that Corrigan had confirmed this to him.
On May 28 this year, McNicholas stated that he had a meeting with Brendan Martin, who gave him a deferred termination date of Oct. 31.
Enterprise Ireland did not comment on the case by press time.
McNicholas is responsible for supporting the U.S. sales activity of more than 380 Irish consumer product companies, most of them in giftware, which have combined annual U.S. sales of $340 million.
From 1995-96, McNicholas was president of the Irish Business Organization of New York. He has lived in the U.S. for 17 years.
McNicholas received the Enterprise Ireland Team Merit award for results gained on behalf of Irish industry in 1997, 2001 and ’02.