A former Fianna Fáil TD has expressed “shock, surprise and disbelief” after learning through a newspaper article last October that he had been summonsed to appear before Cork District Court for the non payment of a debt for political flyers to a local community organisation.
Yesterday Judge Con O’Leary agreed to set aside a judgment against former Cork North Central TD Noel O’Flynn for the non-payment of just over € 1,000 to Glanmire Community News, the Community Centre, Riverstown, Co Cork, pending the hearing of a civil action early next year.A full hearing of the claim for money owed will take place in early 2013.
Barrister Jay Gokul told Cork District Court that his client Noel O’Flynn was in Mexico on holiday in December 2011 when a registered letter was sent to a business address associated with him in Kilnap, Cork. Mr Gokul said that there was an error made on behalf of the plaintiff in that they failed to send letters on the matter to Mr O’Flynn’s home address in Blarney, Co Cork, and instead sent correspondence to a place in which he was simply an investor. It was initially stated that Mr O’Flynn was abroad in December 2011 on Government business. When it was later clarified that the politician had been on holiday, Judge O’Leary said any references to diplomatic missions could be explained by “a slip of the tongue” on behalf of the barrister. He said if €400 to cover expenses were lodged with the court, in addition to the €1161 already with the clerk of the court, he would set aside the summons and list the case for mention on January 7th, 2013.