The National Roads Authority (NRA) has brought the company operating the toll road on the M1 motorway to court, claiming that it is overcharging motorists.
The NRA claims the Celtic Roads Group (Dundalk) Limited is not interpreting the relevant by-laws correctly and stands to make €26,000 a week or €1.39m a year by overcharging motorists.
The court was told there was no mechanism to repay motorists who had been overcharged. And it was told that this case has implications for toll roads all over the country.
The NRA says tolls on the M1 motorway ought to have been reduced on 1 January this year from €1.90 for a car to €1.80 but it says the company has not done this.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly admitted the case to the Commercial Court list and said he would hear the action on February 22.
He said it should be determined as quickly as possible as if motorists are paying an unlawful amount, they can never be reimbursed.
The NRA said earlier this month that four other tolling operators were also required to lower their tolls - the companies operating the M4 toll road, the M6 toll road, the M8 toll road and the N25 toll road.
It said only the operators of the M6 toll had done so.
