The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) faces a strike-out deadline to issue directions in two weeks over a Dublin civil servant accused of passing sensitive government information to a hostile foreign power. Two days after his arrest, the IT worker was denied bail in the District Court, and again in June in an appeal to the High Court. He was also granted legal aid before the July 1 introduction of new flat-fee rates of €520 per case in the District Court by Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan. She applied for a strike-out, saying this was the fifth occasion the matter was before the District Court. She said that Minister O'Callaghan's legal aid reforms envisage that cases should not be in the District Court beyond five days.