A legal action by President Mary McAleese's protocol officer over a disciplinary inquiry was settled at the High Court yesterday.
Bridget Conway, a higher executive officer in the Civil Service, Oakleigh, Clane Road, Celbridge, Co Kildare had brought the action against the Taoiseach, Ireland and the Attorney General.
In her proceedings, she sought a declaration that she is and continues to be the protocol officer in the office of the President.
She also sought a declaration that a purported disciplinary investigation, given the circumstances in which it was embarked upon, was "tainted beyond redemption".
Ms Conway also sought a declaration that the determination of a senior civil servant regarding a disciplinary investigation was oppressive, arbitrary, unreasonable, an abuse of power and was made in bad faith.
She had also brought judicial review proceedings seeking an order quashing the decision of the disciplinary investigation which was carried out late last year.
The full hearing of the case was due to begin yesterday but, after day-long negotiations between the two sides, Frank Callanan SC for Ms Conway, told Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy that the matter had "been resolved."
On the consent of counsel for both sides, the judge agreed to strike out the proceedings being taken by Ms Conway with no further order. No details of the settlement were disclosed in court.
However, it is understood that no damages were awarded to Ms Conway and that a contribution will be made to her costs.
It is also understood that as part of the settlement, Ms Conway will be allowed to retire from her post and that it is accepted that the civil servants against whom she made certain allegations were at all times acting within their remit as civil servants.
When her proceedings were initiated, Ms Conway, whose duties included managing the President's diary and drafting speaking notes for the President, had claimed her relationship with one senior official was initially good but began to deteriorate after Mrs McAleese embraced her on her return from the funerals of some of the victims of the Omagh bombing in August 1998.
The embrace was to thank Ms Conway for her support for the President at what was a difficult time for the President, both personally and professionally, and it was witnessed by a senior official who challenged Ms Conway and asked her to explain what he termed "all this hugging stuff", Ms Conway stated in legal documents.
Ms Conway has been the President's protocol officer since 1997 and was promoted to higher executive officer in 2000. She began working in Áras an Uachtaráin in 1994.
