Attempt may be made to jail Coveney for contempt of court, High Court told

A bid may be made soon to jail Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney for contempt of court, the High Court was told.

Mr Justice John Hedigan was told papers had already been prepared to facilitate an application for the minister to be brought to court for attachment and committal to prison.

Patrick O’Reilly, counsel for two Department of Agriculture employees who allege they were double-crossed in an appointments agreement, told the court he had prepared a motion for attachment and committal of Mr Coveney. He told Mr Justice Hedigan he firstly wanted to consider a letter from the department and to obtain more information about positions that had been filled by someone else.

The minister has denied that he breached an undertaking given to the High Court.

Technical agricultural officers Vincent Gormley and James Scott, both from Co Galway, had taken a court action earlier this year alleging they should be redeployed as assistant inspectors.

The judge heard yesterday that on Jul 30, the minister had given an undertaking to the court that he would not appoint people to the inspectors posts as advertised on Apr 12 or until the court challenge by Mr Gormley and Mr Scott had been determined.

When the case came up before Mr Justice Hedigan yesterday, Mr O’Reilly said it seemed the positions in question had been filled following the undertaking given by Mr Coveney.

Mr O’Reilly asked the court to adjourn the proceedings until after a hearing by the Labour Relations Commission next month.

Eugene Regan, counsel for the minister, said he strongly objected to a suggestion of a breach of an undertaking. The undertaking, he said, had related to an external advertisement process while the issue before the court related to an internal advertisement process.

Mr Regan said the Labour Relations Commission process might help resolve the matter.

The judge allowed the proceedings to stand adjourned.