Urgent hearing for action over Dáil members

The High Court has made directions for an urgent hearing of former Labour minister Joe Costello’s action aimed at securing the enactment of laws increasing the number of members of the Dáil before any general election.

Mr Costello is not pursuing an injunction preventing dissolution of the Dáil before any such laws are introduced and is rather seeking various declarations, the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Peter Kelly noted.

After the basis of the case was outlined to the judge by Conor Power SC, for Mr Costello, the judge made directions for service of the legal documents on the State and Oireachtas and returned the matter to this morning.