The widow of the former CI╔ chief executive, Mr Michael McDonnell, yesterday lost her Supreme Court application for a stay on hearings of the Oireachtas sub-committee inquiry into cost overruns in the mini-CTC rail signalling system. Following the unanimous decision of the three-judge Supreme Court, the sub-committee may proceed with its work. A small number of witnesses remain to be examined before it.
Mr McDonnell died on April 9th last, before the sub-committee sittings began. His widow, Mrs Noreen McDonnell, was given leave by the High Court on October 3rd to take judicial review proceedings against the sub-committee. On that occasion, she also got a stay on further sub-committee sittings, but the stay was lifted on October 15th. Her appeal against the lifting of the stay was dismissed yesterday.
Because Mrs McDonnell and her children were concerned that the sub-committee's proceedings might affect Mr McDonnell's good name and reputation, her solicitor asked the sub-committee to grant her a right of representation on her own behalf and on behalf of her children. The sub-committee acceded to the application last July.
In her High Court proceedings, Mrs McDonnell is complaining that restrictions on the cross-examination of witnesses are seriously prejudicial to endeavours being made to protect her late husband's good name and reputation.