An atheist whose application to be a chaplain was rejected by the Defence Forces had been discriminated against on religion grounds, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has said.

John Hamill, a former officer with Atheist Ireland, made the complaint.

He questioned whether it was a genuine occupational requirement for the role to be a Christian appointed by a bishop, as per the usual practice. This excluded other faiths as well as non-believers. The evidence was that there were good atheist military chaplains in other militaries. He should have been able to apply for the role of chaplain and the role should be allocated to the best applicant, he said.

WRC adjudication officer Kevin Baneham ruled Mr Hamill had been discriminated against on grounds of religion, and he ordered a review of the process of appointing military chaplains to ensure compliance with the Employment Equality Act.