The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by former Rehab Chief Executive Angela Kerins against a High Court decision refusing the disclosure of Dáil documents.
Ms Kerins had argued the documents were necessary for her claim for damages over her treatment at the Dáil Public Accounts Committee in 2014, which she claimed was a "witch hunt" against her.
The court has already ruled that the PAC acted beyond its powers on that occasion and in a related case, Ms Kerins is now claiming damages.
She was refused disclosure of certain documents by the High Court and appealed that decision to the Supreme Court.
Today, the Supreme Court ruled that her application for disclosure sought to make the utterances of Oireachtas members amenable to the courts which was not allowed under Article 15 of the Constitution.
That article attaches privilege to all speech in the houses of the Oireachtas.
Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell said to find in her favour on this issue would effectively remove the privilege of the speech of Oireachtas members.
He said the decision does not mean Ms Kerins did not have any constitutional rights in her dealings with the PAC, and there is a duty on the Oireachtas in this regard, he added.
