The president of the High Court has declined a request by the joint administrators of Quinn Insurance to hold a private hearing of matters relating to the sale of the company.

Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns said yesterday he did not want to direct a private hearing of information concerning the group’s sale which the administrators say is commercially sensitive.

He has adjourned the proceedings to May so that all relevant matters relating to the sale of group can be heard in public.

The application for a private hearing was made as the judge was presented with the latest report from administrators Michael McAteer and Paul McCann, of Grant Thornton.

Bernard Dunleavy, for the joint administrators, said the administrators wanted to keep the court “in the loop” but wanted to avail of the in camera rule so that certain commercial sensitive data would not be put in the public domain.

Mr Justice Kearns said his preference was not to hear anything in camera and adjourned the matter to May.