A BANK has secured a High Court order requiring a company director to pay the €24 million debts of a failed construction firm.

Mr Justice Peter Kelly yesterday granted judgment in that amount to Anglo Irish Bank against Tony Browne, a director of Maryborough Construction Holdings Ltd, over guarantees provided by him in September 2006 in exchange for credit and loan facilities to fund a shopping centre development by Maryborough at Portlaoise.

The judge noted Mr Browne, of Abbott's Hill, Malahide, Co Dublin had entered no defence to the application for judgment, made by Lyndon MacCann SC, for the bank.

The bank had claimed Maryborough, with registered offices at Birchgrove House, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, has been unable to complete the Portlaoise development.

Maryborough was placed under court protection for a period via the appointment of an examiner, but that protection was lifted last December. When the case was before Mr Justice Kelly in April last, the bank consented to an adjournment at the request of Mr Browne, representing himself, to allow him secure legal advice and to take steps to raise the monies owed. At that time, he said a receiver had offers for the lands in sums greater than those owed to the bank.