The legal action taken against Galway City Council over the awarding of a contract for Pay and Display parking machines has been settled on the steps of the High Court.

Management at City Hall confirmed to city councillors that the Judicial Review case instigated by UTS Technologies had been settled in October.

The legal battle has been running for well over a year. It’s understood it was settled on the week of October 20, when it was listed for a hearing that was expected to last for two or three days.

People with knowledge of the case estimated legal fees have been racked up on both sides totalling hundreds of thousands of euro.

It’s understood the Council will pay its own legal fees plus costs incurred by the applicant in the Judicial Review. UTS had been contracted to supply and maintain the machines for six years up to 2024.

It sought a Judicial Review of the Council’s decision in July 2024 to award the P&D meters’ contract to a rival company following a public tender process.

But representatives of both sides thrashed out an agreement last month that avoided a court hearing, which could have inflated already large legal fees.

On Wednesday, October 22, the High Court was told by the applicant, UTS, that the review had been withdrawn and it could be struck out.

Councillors were told that as part of the settlement, the contract awarded last year was to be declared ‘null and void’.

The Council was now examining its options, including the possibility of another public tender process.