Martin Heydon, Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, appointed Robert Huey to the board of Horse Sport Ireland six days ago.

Huey served as Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer from 2013 to 2024.

An industrial tribunal in Belfast ruled in 2021 that Huey engaged in intimidating and patronising behaviour toward Tamara Bronckaers, a Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs vet.

The tribunal found that Bronckaers was constructively dismissed after raising protected disclosure concerns about animal welfare.

Bronckaers received a £1.25 million settlement from the department.

The ruling stated that Huey's account of an encounter with Bronckaers on 1 November 2017 was unsatisfactory and drew an adverse inference from his evidence.

The tribunal concluded that the detrimental treatment was linked to Bronckaers raising protected disclosures.

Heydon's department stated that the Northern Ireland Sports Forum identified Huey as a candidate from its database and that he did not apply for the position.

The department declined to confirm whether the minister knew of the tribunal findings at the time of the appointment.

Horse Sport Ireland declined to comment on the ministerial appointment.