A consortium which failed to secure the State's second mobile phone licence in 1995 has been given another four weeks by the High Court to file a statement of claim in legal proceedings which it initiated in 2000 over the manner in which the licence was allocated to Esat Digifone.
The proceedings have been brought by Comcast International Holdings Incorporated and others against the Minister for Public Enterprise and the State, Esat Digifone and Denis O'Brien.
Michael Cush SC, for the plaintiffs, told Mr Justice Peter Kelly yesterday he accepted the delay in filing a statement of claim was inordinate. However, it was excusable on grounds related to the complexity of the issues and because his client was awaiting the report of the Moriarty tribunal's inquiry.
Mr Justice Kelly said he would make an order directing that unless a statement of claim was delivered within four weeks he would dismiss the proceedings.