Courts / Dublin / Report

SIPO withdraws referral of Hellfire Club residents group to gardai

Date
2019-10-22

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

The High Court struck out a judicial review action brought by Save the Hellfire Club and Rathfarnham's Massy Woods Residents Association against the Standards in Public Office (SIPO) Commission. The applicants, who oppose South Dublin County Council's €22m interpretive centre plan at the Irish Hellfire Club in the Dublin Mountains, challenged SIPO's May 2023 decision to refer them to the Gardaí. SIPO had alleged a breach of political lobbying laws under the Electoral Act, claiming the group failed to cooperate with requests for donor details. Counsel for the applicants, Cian Ferriter SC and John Kenny BL, informed the court that SIPO agreed to withdraw the referral and pay the applicants' costs. With the consent of all parties, the proceedings were struck out. The applicants had previously argued they had no political affiliations and that opposing a planning application did not constitute a political campaign, asserting SIPO lacked jurisdiction to demand donor information. They maintained their sole purpose was to oppose the commercial development, which they claimed would damage the fragile ecosystem of the former hunting lodge site. The court accepted the resolution, effectively ending the legal challenge without a final determination on the merits of the jurisdictional arguments.