Mobile phone licence - Taxpayers paying a heavy price

The Supreme Court has cleared the way for unsuccessful bidders to challenge the awarding of the second mobile telephone licence to Esat Digifone in May 1996.

Two of the unsuccessful companies initiated their cases in 2001.

They were seeking extensive damages, but the State secured a High Court order blocking the case in 2007 on the grounds of inordinate and inexcusable delays. This has since been appealed to the Supreme Court on the grounds that the companies were entitled to await the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal into the awarding of the licence.