A judge yesterday overturned a decision by the authorities to revoke a taxi driver's licence because he had admitted collecting money for people involved in the trafficking of Brazilian prostitutes.
Mr Mark Barry, a father of one from Sarah Place, Islandbridge, Dublin, appealed a Carriage Office decision to revoke a public service vehicle licence just three months after it was granted to him last February.
Dublin District Court heard that just before formal permission was given to him to drive, gardaí discovered from inquiries on their PULSE computer system that he had been arrested in connection with an investigation into the trafficking of young Brazilian women.
Insp Declan Brogan said Mr Barry subsequently admitted that during 2003, while his cab licence application was pending, he had been involved in collecting money at certain times each week from houses and apartments for a group of people involved in illegal trafficking of these young women.
He was never prosecuted as he had co-operated with the Garda inquiry, but was deemed unfit to be a holder of a taxi licence and it was revoked in May.
He was "probably a decent man who got involved in something bigger than he thought", Insp Brogan said.
Judge Terence Finn said he now appeared to be fully aware of his obligations, and any further transgressions could be dealt with by way of conditions on his licence.