Appeal case involving Oireachtas body settled 'in principle'

The Employment Appeals Tribunal agreed to adjourn a case involving the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution yesterday after it emerged that the dispute had been settled "in principle".

Tom Turley, who had provided editorial services to the committee, had taken a case for unfair dismissal against various members of the committee.

The committee's work involves an ongoing review of the Constitution. Unlike most Oireachtas committees, it has separate offices outside Leinster House, on South Leinster Street.

Up until the election was called on April 29th, the committee was chaired by Fianna Fáil's Denis O'Donovan but the Cork deputy lost his seat in that election. Like all committees, it must be reconstituted when Oireachtas reconvenes after the summer break. Mr Turley's case against the committee was due to be heard yesterday morning but after negotiations, his counsel, Marcus Dowling, said the parties had reached "an agreement in principle".

Because of the complexities involved it would take some time to record the agreement in writing, he told the Employment Appeals Tribunal.

Mr Dowling applied for an adjournment in general, saying Mr Turley's solicitor would write to the tribunal as soon as possible, setting out whether the case could be withdrawn or would still go ahead.

Counsel for the committee, Tony Kerr, said the case was complicated by the fact that the committee did not exist at the moment.

The tribunal agreed to the adjournment and Mr Dowling said the legal team would contact the tribunal before the end of September informing it of developments.