A car rental customer at Ireland’s Shannon Airport has been awarded $3,500 euros after the Equality Tribunal determined that he had faced discrimination, according to a Limerick Leader report. The customer had booked a car online from Flynn Brothers Rent-A-Car Ballygar — a Budget Car Rental affiliate at Shannon Airport.

According to the report, Martin McDonagh was told that his online booking hadn’t been received. But when McDonagh returned with a copy of his confirmed booking, a car rental agent said that the online reservation was only a query. Then McDonagh was told no vehicles were available, which was not true, says the report.

McDonagh filed a discrimination complaint against the car rental company based on this incident that occurred on Sept. 17, 2012, says the report.

Equality Officer Conor Stokes told the Limerick Leader that the car rental agent could give no reason for refusing to provide McDonagh with a rental car besides saying that he felt uncomfortable.

“The respondent has given no cogent reason why the complainant was not provided with a rental car despite being given a number of opportunities to do so,” Stokes told the Limerick Leader. “Accordingly, I am satisfied that the complainant is entitled to succeed with this complaint.”

Click here to view the full Limerick Leader article: http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/local-news/shannon-car-hire-firm-discriminated-against-traveller-1-5699416