Fined company makes EUR392,262 profit

Oran Pre-Cast Ltd, the Galway construction company fined €500,000 on Thursday for breaches of the health and safety laws, made a pre-tax profit of €392,262 in the year to February 2002, according to its most recent accounts.

The firm had a turnover of €7.3 million and a retained profit carried forward of €3.6 million. Cash at bank and in hand was €561,923.

No one from the company was available for comment yesterday.

The company, which has its registered office at Deerpark Industrial Estate, Oranmore, Co Galway, is owned by Mr Donall Dooley and Ms Mary Dooley, of Maree, Oranmore, Co Galway; and Mr Peter Melville, Mr Michael Melville and Ms Caroline Melville, all of Glenascaul, Oranmore, Co Galway. The directors are Mr Dooley and Mr Peter Melville.

Oran Pre-Cast paid €1.17 million in wages and salaries in the year to February 28th, 2002, according to its accounts. Directors emoluments were €109,972. Directors loan accounts were €546,324.

Mr Dooley and Mr Peter Melville are both directors of three other Oran companies.

The latest accounts for Oran Pre-cast Slab Ltd give no profit figure but show that accumulated profits grew from €1.96 million to €3.4 million during the year to February 28th, 2002. The company is almost 100 per cent owned by Oran Group Ltd. The latest available accounts for that company, for the year to June 30th, 2001, give no profit figure.

The latest available accounts for Bachir Ltd, formerly Oran Engineering Ltd, for the year ended June 30th, 2000, indicate it conducted little business.

Oran Pre-Cast was fined for breaches of the health and safety laws by Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.

The fine is the largest handed down for such offences.

The case related to the fatal fall of Mr Thomas Farragher, who was replacing a damaged roof gutter on a building in Charlestown, Co Mayo, in September 2001, when he fell about 9ms. The Health and Safety Authority found that the company had failed to provide Mr Farragher with adequate training in fall protection. At the time of the fall, the company was erecting a pre-cast concrete factory facility.