‘Avoidable’ charges costing taxpayer

TAXPAYERS’ money is being wasted because of avoidable pre-trial applications in court cases involving local authorities and the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Master of the High Court has said.

Master Edmund Honohan SC, who deals daily with hundreds of pre-trial applications in court cases, has said he makes costs orders every day against local authorities and the HSE in applications where costs were wasted.

No client can afford “no expense spared” litigation in a recession but public bodies do not appear to be getting the value for money that private clients can expect, he said.