New tonnage charges introduced by the Port of Cork Company will mean extra costs of £40,000 a year for the owners of the ferry service across the River Lee, it was claimed in the High Court yesterday.
In an affidavit, Mr Mark Charles Pearson, managing director of Cross River Ferries Ltd, claimed the port authorities did not provide his company with any services and gave no prior notification of the new charges.
Mr Paul Sreenan SC, for Cross River Ferries, said the company operated a service from Glenbrook to Carrigaloe since 1993. Cork County Council had built new slipways which were leased to the company.
His clients claimed the charges were excessive, unfair and unreasonable. They also claimed there had been a failure by the port company to exercise the rules of constitutional and natural justice in that the ferry company had a right to a fair hearing and did not get an opportunity to make submissions.
Mr Justice Lavan gave leave to the ferry company to apply for a judicial review quashing the port company's decision.