Psychic: 'Sacking was out of the blue'

An Irish radio psychic has told an employment tribunal that she was stunned to be sacked by her employer.

Una Power, the 60-year-old host of Psychic Zone, claims that she is owed €8,500 (£7,440) in redundancy pay after her hours were cut and the show cancelled six months later, the Irish Independent reports.

Representing herself, Power told the Employment Appeals Tribunal in Dublin: "It came completely out of the blue.

"I was just so stunned. I had a discussion with the show's producers a few days before and they urged me to come along to the station's relaunch."

Power's show was broadcast twice a week on the then-named 98FM from 1996, but when the station was rebranded to Dublin's 98 in June 2008, her airtime was cut to one weekly programme.

The psychic said that she was "upset and disappointed" but "didn't want to make a fuss about it" for fear of losing her job and accepted €2,500 as a goodwill gesture.

However, she was made redundant in December and is now claiming redundancy pay based on four hours a week, rather than on two which she has received. Station owners Radio Two Thousand, represented by solicitor Theresa Howlett, deny Power's claim.

The tribunal stated that the case was "complex" and has reserved judgement.

You'd have thought she would have seen it coming