Former Rehab chief executive Angela Kerins has told the High Court that the levels of bullying, harassment and persecution she experienced during her questioning by the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee led her to try to take her own life.
In a sworn statement to the court, Ms Kerins said the PAC hearing was a "McCarthy-like witch hunt" and that the members of the committee wanted to give the public impression that they were doing something in the public interest.
She said she felt she was on trial for some unspecified charges but could not defend herself because she did not know what the charges were.
She said the PAC members had already found her guilty and were intent on ruining her and she felt powerless in the face of an apparent vendetta.
Ms Kerins said members of the committee asked the same questions over and over again and the chairman of the committee failed to protect her from this assault and said she felt she had been entrapped by him.
The court heard that after her appearance at the committee, Ms Kerins became acutely distressed.
She said she felt she could not leave the house without the fear of being photographed or followed.
The court was told people were hanging around the house at night and she had to call gardaí.
The behaviour of the PAC, she said, had shocked her to the core.
She said people in the sector told her they were too afraid to stand up for her, in case they too were subjected to the same treatment.
The court heard that Ms Kerins' health deteriorated due to her distress; she suffered from anxiety, could not sleep and had a sharp pain in her abdomen.
Ms Kerins was admitted to hospital in Waterford and then went to the Beacon Clinic in Dublin.
She said while in hospital she struggled to find a way through for the Rehab group and said she became irrationally convinced that the solution for Rehab and for her family was to sacrifice herself.
She believed her death would resolve the controversy and protect her family from further fallout.
On the evening of 14 March, Ms Kerins said she sadly wrote notes to her family.
She said a colleague from Rehab became concerned after speaking to her on the phone.
This colleague raised the alarm and sought assistance from gardaí to break into her house.
Ms Kerins said she was taken unconscious to St Vincent's hospital and discharged the following day.
Ms Kerins said she was very angry that she had not succeeded in taking her life and knew she needed psychiatric help, or she would attempt it again and this time she would succeed.
She described asking herself how someone as strong as her found herself in this position and the levels of bullying, harassment and persecution, lead by this group of politicians, were so intense that this had happened.
She said they had caused her to think she had to end her life.
Earlier, Senior Counsel John Rogers told the court that after appearing at the PAC on 27 February 2014, Ms Kerins was overwhelmed by the disposition and attitude of the committee to her and the effects of the media storm.
He said Ms Kerins had a collapse in her health on 2 March 2014 and was admitted to hospital.
On 14 March 2014, Ms Kerins self-harmed and became unconscious in her own home and had to be "rescued for her life," he said.
The details came to light as the court heard arguments about the PAC's jurisdiction to question Ms Kerins about certain matters.
Mr Rogers said Ms Kerin's case had to be one of the most difficult a citizen could bring to the court because of the nature of the very private matters she had to reveal in order to pursue her case.
He described his client as "a most courageous woman".
Ms Kerins claims the committee acted unlawfully and was guilty of the improper misuse of power in public office and caused distress and injury to her health in its questioning of her.
She is seeking orders and damages.
Ms Kerins appeared before the PAC for seven hours in February 2014 and her lawyers said she could not attend a resumed hearing in April that year due to ill health.
The PAC maintains it was entitled to question her as more than 80% of Rehab's income in Ireland was provided by the State.
Mr Rogers told the court Ms Kerins' salary did not come from public monies and so the committee had no entitlement to inquire into it.
The committee also argues it cannot be sued for damages over matters said under privilege.
Mr Rogers said Ms Kerins found herself at the beginning of January 2014, confronted by a growing orchestration and voicing of matters contrary to her interests - presenting a negative impression of her personality and her character.
Mr Rogers said an article by Shane Ross in the Sunday Independent in January 2014, about a trip to Saudi Arabia made by Ms Kerins, was the beginning of a tone that was set.
Mr Rogers said the rules delineating the PAC's powers and authority were very clearly set out.
But, he said, what seemed to have happened in the past three years was that the PAC had orchestrated a different mode of operation.
He said there was a willingness to depart from the principal rule that the PAC was not permitted to delve into the personal or private affairs of companies, people, enterprises or charities.
Ms Kerins' lawyers said she had disclosed her salary to the public, through her employer, well before the meeting on 27 February 2014.
Mr Rogers said Ms Kerins said the tone of the meeting of the PAC on that date was critical.
She said members of the committee used "upbraiding" language in some instances and she said the meeting became judgemental.
Ms Kerins said she was examined and re-examined and cross-examined about her salary, pension, entitlements and bonuses.
The court was told details of a private enterprise were gone through.
She said in a sworn statement to the court that she found her work hugely rewarding.
She said she felt she had real opportunities to work for change and felt she was making a difference for people with disabilities.
Ms Kerins said her sense of identity and self-worth were built on her work with Rehab and she was proud of what Rehab had achieved and her role in its achievements.
Kerins believed PAC members set out to destroy her
She believed they had set out to destroy her and she did not think this could be in the public interest.
The court heard solicitors for Ms Kerins wrote to the committee to advise them she would not be able to attend a further hearing in April, because of medical reasons.
She said this letter was treated with contempt and unleashed further malicious and malevolent attacks on her in her absence.
Ms Kerins said for a long time she took no enjoyment in life and even now she could be overwhelmed by the enormity of the near destruction of her life.
She said living with the consequences were very difficult and she was very angry.
She said the members of the committee were public servants funded by the taxpayer and they should be held to account for their dangerous and reckless behaviour.
She said it was very difficult for her to relive these events, but she had agreed so the impact of the behaviour of the PAC committee members on a private individual who had come before them, could be judged.
She said if she could avoid this happening to anyone else who went before PAC, then taking this case would not have been in vain.
