A higher executive officer in the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Mark Keegan, and his wife, Vinnie, have been restrained by a judge from using their Laser cheque guarantee cards.
Judge Alison Lindsay, in Dublin Circuit Civil Court, also issued a mandatory injunction directing the Keegans, of Donnybrook Castle, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, to return their cards and cheque books to Irish Life and Permanent plc.
Mr Donald Seligman, counsel for the bank, told the court that Irish Life and Permanent had agreed to guarantee payments on the face of their cards and on any cheques.
By last April their account had been overdrawn by £4,584 (€5,820). The bank had issued District Court proceedings against the couple but by the time the matter was due to come to court, their overdraft had exceeded the £5,000 jurisdiction of the court. On September 28th last, their overdrawn balance stood at £9,687.
The bank's chief legal officer, Mr Cathal MacCarthy, said that in the week September 17th to September 24th, the Keegans "forced" payment of 11 cheques to the value of more than £1,100 on Irish Life and Permanent.
He said the Keegans had lodged a number of MBNA cheques to their account but they were dishonoured. When Irish Life and Permanent asked MBNA if a stop could be placed on the issue of cheque books to the Keegans, MBNA said they were "looking" for the couple.
Mr MacCarthy said he believed that, unless restrained, the Keegans would continue to draw cheques and utilise their Laser cards to the irreparable harm of the bank.
Mr Seligman said that while Irish Life and Permanent had to meet the Keegans' cheques under the terms of the Laser Card agreement, the cards remained the property of the bank which was entitled to seek their return, particularly in circumstances where they were likely to be abused.
