A Dublin Corporation painter would take four hours to do what a private enterprise painter would do in 10 minutes, a court heard yesterday.
Mr James Cunningham, a painting contractor, told Judge Liam Devally in the Circuit Civil Court that his firm did £1 million worth of work every year for the corporation.
Barrister Mr Michael O'Higgins had asked him why it had been necessary for a corporation painter to spend four hours touching up a "snag list" in a flat just painted by Mr Cunningham's employees.
Mr Cunningham claimed his men had left the flat in an acceptable condition. He was giving evidence in a personal injuries action against the corporation by Mr Karl Fitzgerald of Flat 28, Lourdes House, Dublin, who claims he suffered a needle-stick injury while tidying up rubbish in the unfinished flat to which he had just been given the keys.
Mr John Doherty, for the corporation, said it denied claims that it had rushed Mr Fitzgerald into a hastily refurbished and rubbish-strewn flat to prevent drug users from squatting in it.
The court reserved judgment.