Eleven criminal convictions and €31,000 in fines for damage done to River Barrow

At a recent sitting of Portlaoise District Court, three men pleaded guilty to multiple charges resulting in eleven criminal convictions and €31,000 in fines for damage.

Mr Danny O’Brien of Geashill, County Offaly, his brother Mr Rory O’Brien of Portarlington, County Laois and Mr Pat Paisley of Daingean, County Offaly pleaded guilty of the charges related to breaches of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations, 2011 (S.I. No. 477/2011).

The offences occurred at Cooltedery, Portarlington, Co. Laois, between Friday 10th of April 2020 and Monday 21st of September 2020.

Evidence was presented to Judge John O’Leary which showed the defendants engaged in activities without lawful authority and carried out works within the River Barrow and River Nore Special Area of Conservation without Ministerial consent in contravention of the EC Birds and Natural Habitats Regulations.

Judge O’Leary imposed four criminal convictions on Rory O’Brien and fines totalling €16,000. He imposed four criminal convictions and fines totalling €12,000 on Danny O'Brien. 

Regarding Central Crushing and Screening Ltd, to which Rory O’Brien is a Director and Secretary of, Judge O’Leary imposed three criminal convictions and fines totalling €3,000 on the Company.

Each defendant was given six months to pay.

The court also directed Central Crushing and Screening Ltd to pay the costs of the investigation and the prosecution costs of €4,960 and to do so within twenty-one days. 

Judge O’Leary was satisfied to strike out charges against Pat Paisley, giving him the benefit of the Probation Act.

Reacting to the convictions, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan T.D said, “My Department continues to vigorously enforce wildlife legislation, with suspected breaches investigated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and An Garda Síochána as appropriate. NPWS has sent 42 cases to the Chief State Solicitor’s Office since the beginning of 2023.”

Director General with the NPWS, Niall Ó Donnchú, commented, “Last year NPWS established a new Wildlife Crime Enforcement Directorate to strengthen and sharpen the focus on this aspect of our work in protecting nature. Criminal damage to nature is a crime that strikes at the heart of species codependency. I would like to thank all of our NPWS Conservation Rangers and colleagues for their efforts in bringing these cases forward.”