Applegreen and Tedcastles Oil Products are legally challenging the decision to award three new service station developments to Denis O'Brien's Topaz Energy Group Limited.

Barrister Joe Jeffers told the High Court that Applegreen and Tedcastles had formed a consortium, SuperStop 2, to tender for the design, construction, operation and financing of the three new services areas at Athlone on the M6, Kilcullen on the M9 and Gorey on the M11.

He said Transport Infrastructure Ireland, which was formed only a fortnight ago by the coming together of the NRA and the Railway Procurement Agency, had told SuperStop that it had "determined" Topaz to be the most economically advantageous and therefore preferred tenderer.

Mr Jeffers, who appeared with Arthur Cox Solicitors for Applegreen and Tedcastles, said his clients were seeking an order quashing the decision to award the contracts to Topaz.

Mr Justice David Keane granted Applegreen Plc and Tedcastles Oil Products leave to apply for judicial review.

Irish Independent