HARCOURT Developments is being sued in Ireland because another developer claims it owns half the rights to develop the Esplanade.

The details of the action before the Commercial Court, obtained by the JEP, show that Harcourt is being taken to the Dublin High Court next month by three Irish businessmen over a dispute believed to centre on the Esplanade Quarter but which also includes the Waterfront and Liberation Square.

The news will come as another blow to the States, which is already in disarray following the recent revelations about Harcourt and a similar lawsuit in Las Vegas over the $800 million Sullivan Square project.

It is understood that the directors of the company have called for an emergency meeting with the Council of Ministers on Monday in an attempt to reassure them about their intentions.

In the Irish case, the three businessmen are suing Harcourt Developments and director Pat Doherty in a dispute over an alleged partnership said to involve the Jersey Waterfront development company, Island Developments.

*Picture: The court building in Dublin