Lawyers in Eddie Irvine tribunal warned

Lawyers representing former Formula One driver Eddie Irvine and his ex-business partner were today warned there was limited time to complete a fair employment hearing.

John Foley, a one-time friend and colleague of the international star, claimed he was unfairly dismissed by Irvine’s Calview Investments.

But at a sitting of the Employment Appeals Tribunal in Dublin, the two sides were told the case could not drag on indefinitely wasting Tribunal time and resources.

The Dublin publican was sacked in April 2003 as manager and director of the fashionable Cocoon bar off Dublin’s Grafton Street and O’Reilly’s beside Tara Street DART station. The pubs were co-owned by the pair.

Mr Foley had been given a written warning over several issues including taking money from the joint company account by cashing personal cheques in the bars.

The hearing is now set to sit again early next year to allow enough time for evidence from all witnesses to be heard.

James Flanagan, tribunal member, refused to grant a further five day bloc to complete the case.

“That is a large amount of Tribunal time and resources to allocate,” Mr Flanagan said. “We gave three days as something of a concession to parties. They now look wasted.”

He said the panel had a responsibility to ensure Tribunal time and resources were not wasted, and called for an expeditious end to the hearing.

Aine Curran told the hearing Mr Foley was “extremely anxious” the matter be aired at the earliest opportunity.

She said it was feared pending High Court action could jeopardise Mr Foley’s claim that he was wrongfully dismissed.

A series of civil cases between Mr Foley and Mr Irvine have been launched including a defamation action, and a battle to determine ownership of the bars.

The employment hearing is set to resume next March.

The defamation lawsuit was dropped in May of this year, and a claim over an unpaid debt is also pending before the court.