A WOMAN who runs a Donegal dating agency has been instructed to allow a District Court judge view files from male clients.
But Mary Mitchell, who runs The Happy Matchmaker agency, was not ordered to allow a dissatisfied woman client, Annemarie McBrearty, see them.
Donegal Circuit Court has ruled that a District Court judge see the files to decide whether they are relevant in a negligence and breach of duty action.
Proceedings in the action have been delayed by a dispute over whether the files of four male clients should be available.
Ms McBrearty (33), won an order last December that she see the files to prepare her prosecution of Ms Mitchell.
The proceedings were delayed while Ms Mitchell, of Ballintra, Co Donegal, lodged a Circuit Court appeal against the order of District Judge Denis McLoughlin.
Now Judge Raymond Fullam, in the Circuit Court, has ordered the case be returned to the District Court.
He said yesterday the District Court judge should be able to inspect the files at its next sitting in Donegal later this month and make a decision.
Ms Mitchell of Ballintra, Co Donegal, has been accused of failing to check out men introduced to Ms McBrearty.
Ms McBrearty is suing Ms Mitchell for €6,348.99 for negligence, breach of duty and fraudulent misrepresentation.
Ms McBrearty, of Oldtown, Letterkenny, claims that she paid €600 for 12 “introductions” in January, 2009. The agency had advertised that “each prospective suitor” would be screened.
Ms McBrearty claimed in an earlier District Court hearing that it became clear after four introductions the “prospective suitors” had not been vetted or screened in any way. She claimed that as a result she was “groped, assaulted and battered without lawful excuse”.