19.—(1) A person shall not question a decision of an Appeals Officer on an appeal otherwise than by way of an application for judicial review under Order 84 of the Rules of the Superior Courts (S.I. No. 15 of 1986) (in this section referred to as “the Order”).

(2) An application for leave to apply for judicial review under the Order in respect of a decision of an Appeals Officer—

(a) shall be made within the period of 3 months commencing on the date on which the decision was made, and

(b) shall be made by notice of motion (grounded in the manner specified in the Order in respect of an ex parte motion for leave) which shall be served on an Appeals Officer and each party or each other party, as the case may be, to the appeal, or any other person specified for that purpose by order of the High Court, and leave shall not be granted unless the High Court is satisfied that there are substantial grounds for contending that the decision is invalid or ought to be quashed.

(3) The determination of the High Court of an application for leave to apply for judicial review referred to in subsection (2), or of an application for such judicial review, shall be final and no appeal shall lie from the decision of the High Court to the Supreme Court in either case except with the leave of the High Court, which leave shall only be granted where the High Court certifies that its decision involves a point of law of exceptional public importance and that it is desirable in the public interest that an appeal should be taken to the Supreme Court.

(4) Subsection (3) shall not apply to a determination of the High Court in so far as it involves a question as to the validity of any law having regard to the provisions of the Constitution.

(5) References in subsection (1) to the Order shall be construed as including references to the Order as amended or re-enacted (with or without modification) by rules of court.