The High Court is today expected to begin the hearing of an action by a teacher who claims St Gerard's private school in Co Wicklow failed to honour an offer to her of a permanent post. The school denies the claims.
The case was listed for hearing yesterday morning but was adjourned because there was no judge available to hear it who did not have some connection to the school.
Yesterday was the third time the case was adjourned because of the inability to find a judge to hear it who had either not attended the school in Bray, or had not children attending there, or did not know one of the board of governors or witnesses in the case.
The action is likely to be heard today by the newly-appointed High Court judge, Mr Justice Kevin Haugh.
Mary Teresa Hennessy, Quill Road, Kilmacanogue has brought the action against the board of governors of St Gerard's school.
She was a maths and business organisation teacher in the fee-paying school for almost a year. She claims she was interviewed for a post in May 2002 and made it clear she was only interested in teaching in the school on the basis that the position was permanent.
She claims she was offered a permanent post by the headmaster a few days later and she started work with the school on August 26th, 2002.
She claims that, in March 2003, reference was made to a probationary period. At the end of April 2003, she received a letter signed by the chairperson of the St Gerard's board which stated it did not intend to offer a contract of continuous employment to her.