In the High Court personal injury case of Sweeney –v- Balinteer Community School [2011] IEHC 131 the Court was scathing in its criticism of a Principal who had engaged a private investigator to carry out surveillance on the Plaintiff over a four day period. The Court, in the circumstances of this case, found these actions wholly inappropriate and found that this action by the Principal amounted to “a most serious harassment of the Plaintiff by him”.

In this case, the Plaintiff was followed during the day by a car with two occupants which the Court accepted made her feel “hunted, threatened and terrified”. Garda intervention ascertained that the Plaintiff was being followed by a private investigator personally employed by