A High Court bid by a protocol officer for President Mary McAleese to stop "contrived" disciplinary proceedings against her was adjourned yesterday.
Bridget Conway initiated her proceedings last week alleging that because of resentment about her close working relationship with the President, "bogus" disciplinary proceedings were contrived against her two years ago by senior personnel in the office of the President's secretary, with a view to removing her from her post.
When the case was called before Mr Justice Liam McKechnie yesterday, he was told the matter could be adjourned for two weeks by consent.
Ms Conway, whose duties include managing the President's diary and drafting speaking notes for the President, claims her relationship with one senior official was initially good.
It began to deteriorate after Mrs McAleese embraced her on her return from the funerals of some of the victims of the Omagh bombing in August 1998. The embrace was to thank Ms Conway for her support at what was a difficult time for the President, personally and professionally.
It was witnessed by a senior official who challenged Ms Conway and asked her to explain what he termed "all this hugging stuff", Ms Conway said in legal documents.
She claims her close relationship with the President was resented in particular by Loughlin Quinn, personnel officer in the office of the secretary to the President, and Brian McCarthy, secretary general in the same office.
She claims this alleged resentment and personal animus by the two men is the driving force behind an investigation into "completely baseless allegations" into certain working practices in the office.
Ms Conway also alleges that a "baseless" allegation of bullying was made against her in early 2004 by a female colleague at the Áras of which allegation she was ultimately exonerated in July 2005.
Shortly after the bullying allegation was made, she claims she was informed in a letter from Mr Quinn that a number of matters had been brought to the attention of senior management which would have to be investigated under the Civil Service Disciplinary Code.
She rejected all those allegations as contrived and believed the entire process flouted the civil service disciplinary code.