Decide slams public who took benefit of Covid PUP funds

A Donegal Decide has as soon as once more slammed individuals who illegally claimed PUP funds in the course of the Covid disaster.

Decide Éiteáin Cunningham was talking as quite a lot of individuals got here earlier than Letterkenny District Courtroom having claimed the Authorities funds whereas nonetheless working and getting paid.

Numerous individuals appeared earlier than the courtroom who had illegally claimed a double fee for quite a lot of months mounting to a number of thousand euro every.

One man had an over-payment of €6,900 which has now been totally repaid.

His solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, stated the person was being fully-taxed in his personal job and that he didn’t “know the place he was going” by claiming the Covid fee additionally.

He added that the person was within the courtroom’s palms and that he had “made a mistake.”

Nonetheless, Decide Cunningham rapidly interjected and stated this was not a mistake.

She stated the Authorities had put the scheme in place to help households in the course of the pandemic and located it “galling” that individuals had been “out attempting to take benefit.”

She fined the accused €500.

One other man who additionally appeared earlier than the courtroom, and who was representing himself, illegally claimed €6,892.

He has now made a repayments plan and is handing again €50 per week to the State.

When requested if he had something to say to the courtroom the person smirked.

Decide Cunningham stated this was not a laughing matter and ordered the accused to return again to courtroom on March fifth subsequent for a fee replace and instructed the person he could want to tackle the courtroom then.

Decide slams public who took benefit of Covid PUP funds was final modified: October third, 2023 by Workers Author