Pontins sorry for visitors ban with sure names – see listing together with Gallagher
Pontins has apologised for discriminating against specific accents and surnames of people labelled “undesirable guests”.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found that the famous holiday site was guilty of discrimination, inspiring the company to say sorry to the the Traveller and Gypsy communities.
The firm used an “undesirable guest list” which was published on the staff intranet. It was first revealed by a whistleblower in 2021 and included Irish surnames, which staff should refuse reservations to.
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The list included some of the most common Irish surnames, used across Great Britain and Ireland. Some of the names were Boyle, Delaney, Doherty, Gallagher, Lee, McGuinness, O’Reilly and Murphy.
(Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)
The EHRC said yesterday that it had agreed an “action plan” with Pontins bosses, including the introduction of “safeguards in systems and processes”.
The action plan will see implementation of a whistleblower scheme as well as a programme of “engagement with Traveller communities”.
Pontins will now have a “zero-tolerance approach to discrimination”.
The company said: “On behalf of the owners, directors, senior managers and all of us here at Pontins, we would like to reiterate our apologies regarding the serious issues raised by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in their report.
(Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)
“In particular we want to apologise directly to the Traveller and Gypsy community. The refusal to allow guests to stay at our parks because we suspected they were Irish Travellers was clearly wrong.
“We accept the serious nature of the issues raised. We deeply regret any distress caused.”
It comes after a whistleblower also claimed that staff monitored calls and also refused or cancelled bookings made by people with an Irish accent.
Pontins was found to be in breach of the Equality Act 2010, which recognises Gypsies and Travellers as a distinct racial group.
The EHRC previously discovered Pontins had a rule requiring guests to be on the electoral register, which is discriminatory against Travellers who are less likely to be registered.
Names included in ‘undesirable list’ include
Boyle, Carney, Connors, Corcoran, Delaney, Doherty, Gallagher, Horan, Keefe, Leahy, MacLaughlin, McDonagh, McGinley, McMahon, Murphy, Nolan, O’Brien, O’Connell, O’Donnell, O’Mahoney, O’Reilly, Stokes, Ward
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