Angela Kerins has won her Supreme Court appeal against a lower court’s dismissal of her legal action against the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee.
The Cashel woman is a former CEO of the Rehab Group – she sued PAC in relation to hearings held in 2014 as part of an investigation into money paid to the group.
Angela Kerins stepped down as CEO of the Rehab Group following her appearance before PAC in Feb 2014.
The Cashel woman claimed the members acted outside of their powers by grilling her about her €240,000 salary and bonus payments.
She described it as a “witch-hunt” and said she tried to take her own life in light of the public backlash and stress that followed.
The High Court accepted that some of the things said during the hearing were damaging to her reputation both personally and professionally.
But it concluded the members were protected by parliamentary privilege and therefore the courts couldn’t intervene.
However, the Supreme Court has ruled that PAC acted “significantly outside of its terms of reference” and engaged in an “unlawful and unfair process”
The question of damages wasn’t part of this appeal but submissions on what legal declaration should follow will be heard in April.
The ruling could have significant implications for the scope of investigations by Oireachtas Committees.
Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley says it’s a judgement they’ll have to consider carefully.
Political Editor with the Irish Examiner Daniel McConnell says today’s ruling is very significant:
