A High Court judge has told members of a jury in a rape trial that he was brought back in from hospital to direct them.

At the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Dublin, Mr Justice Paul Carney told the jury in the trial of a Limerick man charged with rape offences that he would deal with any questions from them over the telephone.

Mr Justice Carney said: "I've been brought back in from hospital to reprocess you," before telling the jury that they can now return a majority verdict on which at least ten, or more, jurors agree.

The jury of ten men and two women has been deliberating since last week in the trial and resumed deliberations after the judge's instruction.

Last Friday, the jury was sent home after another judge informed them that Mr Justice Carney was unavailable.

The accused man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 32 counts of raping and assaulting the woman causing her harm between October 1998 and October 2004 in Co Clare.

The jury foreman asked the judge who he should direct any questions to in the judge's absence.

"Anything that arises I hope to deal over the telephone. If it's insoluble over the telephone I'll have to be brought back," Mr Justice Carney replied.

He also told the jury that he will return ultimately to receive the verdict.