The French embassy in Dublin has been ordered to pay one of its former chauffeurs more than €21,000 as an end of service indemnity.
Mr Charlie Byrne (51), Main Street, Blanchardstown, Dublin, told Circuit Court appeals judge, Mr Justice de Valera, he was employed in 1984 by the Republic of France, which has its embassy in Ailesbury Road, Dublin.
Mr Mel Christle SC, counsel for Mr Byrne, told the High Court it was an express term of his employment agreement that he would be paid an end of service indemnity.
Mr Byrne had resigned from his employment in September 2000 but the embassy failed to honour the terms of the agreement.
Mr David Nolan SC, who appeared with Mr Declan Buckley, for the Republic of France, said the terms of the contract of employment had changed in 1993.
Awarding Mr Byrne €21,241 Mr Justice de Valera said there was nothing in the new contract of 1993 which suggested that the conditions under which he had originally been employed had in any way been rescinded or removed.