Four Irishmen disqualified as UK directors

Four businessmen based in the Republic have been disqualified from acting as directors for eight years by the High Court in Belfast.

The rulings do not have any effect on the mens' right to continue as directors in the Republic, where two of the four men currently hold such positions. However, under Irish law, they will have to declare their disqualifications in the UK when signing up to any new directorships here.

The four men are: Darragh O'Flaherty, Kilmihil, Co Clare; Niall O'Flaherty and James Felle, both of Ennis, Co Clare; and Patrick Guilfoile, from Lucan, Co Dublin. They were disqualified in relation to the conduct as directors of SBS Timber Frame (NI) Ltd, a company that manufactured kits for timber-framed structures at Aghnatrisk Road, Hillsborough, Co Down. The company went into liquidation in February, 2002.

Mr Felle is registered in the Companies Registration Office in Dublin as being a director of five companies, including SBS Timber Frame Ltd and Shannonside Building Supplies Ltd.

Niall O'Flaherty is registered as being a director of six companies, including Shannonside Building Supplies Ltd and Woodwilde Ltd.

The High Court in Belfast imposed the disqualifications after finding the men's actions as directors had constituted "unfit conduct". These included failing to co-operate with the official receiver, causing and permitting the company to be financed by £253,697 (€370,000) that was due to the UK's Inland Revenue and failing to file accounts for the years to the end of February 2000 and 2001.

The matters also included failing to hand over the books and records for the company to the receiver.

The court found that the failure to pay the taxes, and the lack of co-operation with the receiver were "two particularly serious issues".

The effect of the non co-operation was that the UK department of enterprise, trade and investment "could not reach a final assessment of the overall indebtedness of the company, nor establish the point at which the company became insolvent".

The department accepted disqualification undertakings for four years from two other men - Barry Dobbin, Hollywood and Trevor McConnell, Armagh - in respect of their conduct as directors of SBS Timber Frame (NI).

Mr Felle did not wish to comment when contacted yesterday and referred the matter to Darragh O'Flaherty. Attempts to contact Mr O'Flaherty were unsuccessful.