Lenders owed a combined €11 million by Paddy McKillen jnr want to cross-examine the businessman under oath on his financial affairs, the High Court has heard.

Lawyers for McKillen are opposing the examination, submitting that it is an attempt to embarrass him.

McKillen is seeking a personal insolvency arrangement, and has told the court he has debts of €27.7 million and is insolvent. In September, the court granted him a protective certificate, which protects him from his creditors until at least December.

Lenders Herbert Street Finance and Cabriz Finance – who are owed €2.3 million and €8.7 million, respectively, by McKillen – have both issued applications to set aside the protective certificate.

The applications arise from concerns raised by the lenders about an alleged “absence of detail” in information provided by McKillen in his application for a protective certificate.

In written evidence filed last week, McKillen rejected allegations that he had failed to disclose certain financial information when he was granted a protective certificate.

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Bernard Dunleavy, counsel for Herbert Street Finance, told Judge Nessa Cahill on Monday his side was seeking to examine McKillen in relation to his assets and liabilities.

Dunleavy, appearing with barrister Niall Ó hUiginn, submitted that, per recent evidence sworn by insolvency practitioner Eugene McDarby, a revised statement of McKillen’s financial affairs will be required.

According to an affidavit sworn by McDarby, a judgment against McKillen – obtained by Herbert Street Finance in October for a debt of €2.3 million – as well as “other developments, including information provided by creditors during the protective certificate period”, gave rise to the need for an updated prescribed financial statement.

Dunleavy said that whatever information is gleaned from the examination will be for the benefit of all of McKillen’s creditors.

Keith Farry, barrister for McKillen, said his side was not consenting to the examination, and submitted the application was “a show for embarrassing Mr McKillen in front of the court”.

Dunleavy said his client was “not in the business of embarrassing anyone”.

The judge made directions for the filing of written submissions on the question of McKillen’s examination, and adjourned the case for two weeks.

Separately, McKillen has been ordered by the court to pay legal costs incurred by Herbert Street Finance in opposing the businessman’s bid to strike down a bankruptcy summons over a debt exceeding €2 million.

Herbert Street Finance in January issued the bankruptcy summons, the first step in bankruptcy proceedings, over the debt it said McKillen owed it.

In August, Judge Liam Kennedy dismissed an application by McKillen to set aside the summons.

At a hearing on Monday, Ó hUiginn, for Herbert Street Finance, told Kennedy he was seeking an order for his client’s legal costs, following its successful defence of the set-aside application.

Ó hUiginn noted that if the court made the costs order sought, it would be captured by the protective certificate granted to McKillen.

Farry said he could not consent to the costs order sought, but said his side recognised the lender had been successful in opposing the set-aside application.

The judge awarded the costs of the set-aside application to Herbert Street Finance.

The substantive bankruptcy petition was adjourned to January.

McKillen is the co-founder of the hospitality group Press Up.