The High Court has ruled that businessman Declan Ganley is entitled to just half of the legal costs he incurred for his challenge against the ban on attending religious services during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Ireland had the longest ban on public worship anywhere in Europe. Similar legal challenges elsewhere succeeded.

Mr Justice Charles Meenan held that the Co Galway businessman had raised points of general public importance in his action, including the balance between the right to public worship and public health.

The Minister’s lawyers had argued that the court should make no orders as to costs, meaning that each side would pay their own legal bills.

The Judge ultimately never heard the case, deciding that it was pointless to do so once the mass-ban was lifted.

Neil Steen, SC, had argued that Mr Ganley should be awarded his full costs against the Minister, and said his client’s case was a straightforward one.

He added that one would have thought the Minister would have had all the material he required to justify the regulations readily available to him, but due to the large volume of material generated by the Minister in response to the action one could infer that there was an attempt to “swamp” Mr Ganley and delay the proceedings.