A bank clerk has failed to get a High Court injunction restraining the Bank of Ireland from dismissing her after a bag containing €80,000 in cash went missing from the Portlaoise branch of the Bank.

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy yesterday said Mary McEvoy's application was premature as she still had two further appeals open to her in the bank disciplinary process. A full-time clerk for about a year, Ms McEvoy (21), of Kilminchy, Portlaoise, has claimed she did nothing wrong and that, because of her age, she was a victim of circumstances and a "convenient scapegoat" for the bank in relation to the missing money.

The cash bag containing €80,000 in €20 notes was part of a €700,000 cash consignment in nine bags transferred to the bulk cash depository in the strong room of the Bank of Ireland Portlaoise branch last summer.

In an affidavit, Ms McEvoy said that, on June 27th, 2005, she and two other members of staff placed the bags into the bulk cash depository in the strong room overnight for collection the next day, when the bags were placed in the drop safe down a chute by her and two colleagues. That evening, it was discovered one of bags was missing from the drop safe. The bag was never found. Ms McEvoy said she had no knowledge of its whereabouts.