The full hearing of a legal challenge by two senior credit union executives to their dismissal is due to open at the High Court today Tuesday.

Mr Alec Good and Ms Patricia O'Neill, respectively the former manager and deputy manager of Gurranabraher Credit Union, Cork, have taken proceedings against the credit union and its chairman, Mr Con O'Leary, arising from their dismissals on December 17th last year.

Last July, Mr Good, of Hillcourt, Donnybrook, Douglas, Cork, and Ms O'Neill, Presentation Road, Gurranbraher, were refused injunctions restraining the credit union from filling their posts prior to the determination of the proceedings.

Since then, disputes between the parties about discovery of documents were before the court. Earlier this month, Mr Justice Smyth warned the sides the case would proceed on October 21st irrespective of any outstanding disputes about discovery.

The action is listed to open today before Mr Justice Kearns who warned the parties yesterday he would not allow the case "to ramble on like a driverless train".

He said he had read the papers in the case and he was not going to allow it tie the court up for a lengthy period.

Mr James O'Reilly SC, for the two executives, said he expected the case to take about four days. Mr John McMenamin SC, for the credit union, said it was effectively a procedural case.