Offaly man got big Covid PUP payments while still working for Bord na Mona

AN Offaly man received €18,600 in pandemic unemployment payments while continuing to work for Bord na Mona, Tullamore District Court heard.

Judge Andrew Cody said that Glenn Feighery, Ballincloghan, Kilcormac, had “scammed” the State in “fraudulent” Covid-19 payments.

Mr Feighery appeared before Judge Cody after being arrested by appointment at Tullamore courthouse last Wednesday.

Sandra Mahon, state solicitor for Offaly, said the matter related to a prosecution by the Minister for Social Protection.

It had previously been before the court and payments had been made by Mr Feighery.

Ms Mahon said €900 had been paid and then €100 per week for five weeks up to August 24, and then another €600 on the day of the court (October 4) “but it will be at least 24 hours before it hits the minister's bank account”.

Mr Feighery's solicitor, Donal Farrelly, said his client was making payments in accordance with what had been agreed and was paying what he could.

Judge Cody told Mr Farrelly the court had been waiting for a year for the man to put some sort of proposal before it and it had been in court seven or eight times.

Ms Mahon said the minister was agreeable to Mr Feighery paying what he could afford to pay “as long as payments are made religiously every week or every month”.

The state solicitor added: “So really the ball is in Mr Feighery's court.”

When Mr Farrelly referred to the man's job in Bord na Mona the judge replied: “He had a job in Bord na Mona at the time he was getting Covid payments so there's nothing new about that.”

The solicitor said his client was a hard working 40-year-old single man who had made a mistake.

Judge Cody remanded him on continuing bail to appear in court again on January 12 next.

“You need to keep up those repayments,” he said.

Mr Feighery was previously found guilty of making a statement or representation, for the purpose of obtaining payment for himself of Covid-19 pandemical unemployment payments, which to his knowledge was false or misleading, that his full time employment ended with a temporary lay off from January 13, 2021, when he was in fact employed by Bord na Mona.