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Photocall Ireland
Denis O'Brien
# Courts
Denis O'Brien is taking legal action over Dáil comments about his finances
The businessman has issued proceedings against the Houses of the Oireachtas and the State.
BUSINESSMAN DENIS O’BRIEN has issued legal proceedings against the Houses of the Oireachtas and the State over comments in the Dáil about his banking arrangements with IBRC, the former Anglo Irish Bank.
The legal proceedings are understood to concern comments made by the independent TD Catherine Murphy and the Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty.
Their remarks, made under parliamentary privilege in the Dáil, concerned O’Brien’s dealings with Irish Bank Resolution Corporation.
A spokesperson for the Oireachtas confirmed that it had received correspondence related to the matter. They said it would be discussed at a meeting of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission next week.
RTÉ reports that O’Brien will argue the effect of the remarks was to decide in whole or in part separate proceedings he and the bank took against RTÉ. His lawyers will argue that the comments on the Dáil record intefered with the operation of the courts.
He will also argue that allowing the Dáil comments amounted to a breach of his rights under the Irish Constition and the European Convention on Human Rights, according to RTÉ.
The case is due back before the High Court on 1 July.
Read: Why it’s pretty unlikely Denis O’Brien will face the banking inquiry
