Broadcaster and employer agree to mediate dispute, High Court told

High Court reporter

Broadcaster Paul Byrne and his employer Virgin Media Television have agreed to mediate a legal dispute between the two, the High Court has heard.

Mr Byrne, who is the broadcaster's southern correspondent, has sued his employer, seeking various injunctions over what he claims is a flawed internal disciplinary process against him.

The claims are denied.

The matter was mentioned before Mr Justice Mark Sanfey on Tuesday, who was told the matter could be adjourned for a month, as the parties had agreed to try and mediate the dispute.

The judge, who had previously suggested that the sides seek to resolve their differences outside of court, agreed to put the matter back to a date in June.

The court previously heard that Mr Byrne was suspended from his role following a live report he made on the afternoon of February 9 last concerning the death of a young boy in Co Waterford.

Mr Byrne, the court heard, had stated that one line of inquiry being considered by the Gardai as part of the investigation into the child's death was that the boy had allegedly been drowned and placed into a car.

The claim was published after Mr Byrne checked it with at least two credible sources, and after two other media outlets had published the same information.

While he had believed the information to be credible, the information later turned out not to be true.

Shortly afterwards, he claims his employer suspended him for allegedly breaching the broadcaster's News Guidelines and Production Handbook, because he had allegedly failed to speak to his line manager about the matter in advance of the broadcast.

The disciplinary process, he claims, could result in his dismissal for alleged gross misconduct.

He denies any wrongdoing, and claims that the process engaged by his employer is flawed, punitive, disproportionate and should be set aside.

He also claims that the process lacks credibility, and is in breach of his contractual rights.

As part of the process, he claims he was asked to attend a disciplinary hearing, which he had claimed he was unable to do on medical grounds.

He fears that the outcome of that meeting, which was put on hold after proceedings were commenced, could have had serious repercussions for his employment and reputation.

As a result, he commenced proceedings before the High Court last month seeking an injunction restraining Virgin Media Ireland Ltd, and Virgin Media Television Limited from continuing the  disciplinary process against him.

He also seeks orders requiring the defendants to pay his salary and benefits, lift his suspension, and not appoint anyone to carry out Mr Byrne's duties.

The court heard that in correspondence the defendants reject Mr Byrne's claims against both them and the disciplinary process itself.

They said that given its role as a public broadcaster, it deems the alleged breach as being "serious in nature" and informed him that "steps needed to be taken to avoid a repeat".