FORMER REHAB CEO has been awarded two-thirds of the legal costs she incurred in taking her failed High Court damages case against the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee.
Kerins had taken the case on foot of utterances made by Oireachtas members during her appearance before PAC in February 2014.
In January, the High Court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to make a ruling over her claim.
Despite the failure of her action, the High Court has today ruled that Kerins is entitled to two-thirds of her costs, citing the “exceptional public importance” of the case.
“The court is of opinion that the justice of the case will be met if the applicant is awarded two-thirds of her taxed costs against the first to fifteenth respondents together with 100% of the costs of the transcript,” the three judge ruling said today.
“Coming to its conclusions, the court accepts that there was a personal interest on the part of the applicant in bringing the proceedings but that is not fatal to an application of this sort,” the ruling added.
Kerins had sought damages from the PAC for distress, public humiliation, and the loss of her career regarding her appearance while she was still working at Rehab.
The court previously heard that Kerins had made an attempt on her own life following her seven-hour session in front of the committee.
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