The Druids Glen Hotel and Golf Resort has successfully argued at the High Court that it should be allowed to self-insure against guests being injured while dancing.

The five-star hotel, in Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, which is operated by the Neville Group, had applied to the District Court for a public dancing licence under the Public Dance Halls Act.

The State argued there was a "risk and tragic reality" to the "serious public safety concerns attaching to public dance".

The hotel group argued it had sufficient liquidity, assets and reserves to effectively self-insure against any public liability risks and claims likely to arise from any dancing in its hotels.

The High Court was asked to determine if an insurance policy was required by law for a dance licence. High Court judge Conor Dignam ruled that it was not.

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He said the District Court had an obligation to have regard to an applicant's financial ability to compensate individuals who might be injured if it did not have insurance, and that it could refuse an application if it was not satisfied of the applicant's ability to do so.