Bank of Ireland (BoI) has agreed to pay a €350,000 settlement in a case in which it was alleged that it released a woman’s bank details to her estranged father, who then used it to find her abroad.
The woman claimed her father used the confidential bank transaction data to track her down abroad, to then “watch, beset and harass” her, causing her psychological trauma.
At the High Court on Wednesday, Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty was told the settlement, which was made without admission of liability by BoI, meant it would pay €275,000 to the woman and €75,000 to her partner to settle the matter.
In her High Court case against the bank, her father and her father’s firm, the woman had sought damages for the alleged breach of duty, privacy and confidence.
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The bank had claimed it was a stranger to much of the woman’s case, but accepted she raised issues with it and the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) in relation to her personal data.
It denied there had been any breach of duty and made no admission as to how the documents came to be in the possession of the woman’s father, as claimed.
Following the involvement of the DPC, the bank moved to acknowledge it had “fallen short of the standards” the woman should have been able to rely upon.
Ms Justice Gearty was told by John O’Donnell SC, for the two plaintiffs, that there had been an “unhappy and traumatic” history between the woman and her estranged father.
Mr O’Donnell said the woman’s estranged father either accessed or was provided access to her banking details and from there able to trace the plaintiff and her partner in Spain and in the UK when working there.
Her father would then inform her by email of where she was and tell her he would be at these locations.
Mr O’Donnell said BoI admitted falling short of conduct expected from a bank and that an order was made in February 2023 for a lodgement, but time to do so had been extended.
He said the lodgement was now made and that €350,000 was to be split between the couple, with €275,000 and €75,000 accepted by the woman and her partner respectively.
As part of the settlement, counsel said, the plaintiffs will have their costs awarded in the case up to October 9th, 2023.
Mr O’Donnell said cases taken by the couple against the woman’s father and his business could be struck out with no order as to costs.
