Ireland: Corrupt civil servants ordered to do community service

Corrupt civil servants ordered to do community service

By Sonya McLean
Saturday July 07 2007

Liam Rainsford (43) of Cremore Heights, Glasnevin; Michael Byrne (51) of Parkwood Road, Old Bawn; and Alan Quinn (48) of Broadmeadows, Swords, all accepted payment from Dooley's Law Agents Limited, for speeding up the process by which the company received documents from the Land Registry.
Gerard Dooley (50), of Cranagh Park, Rathfarnham, of Dooley's Law Agents Ltd, admitted he corruptly gave cheques to Rainsford, Quinn and Byrne on dates between December 19, 2000 and September 1, 2003.
Rainsford pleaded guilty to corruptly receiving four cheques, drawn on Dooley's account, as a reward for the supply of copy folios and/or file plans in relation to the affairs or business of the Land Registry on dates between November 16, 2001 and May 30, 2003.
Byrne pleaded guilty to the same charge and to an additional charge of "making a false instrument" in relation to a land registry document between September 9, 2002 and June 30, 2003.
Quinn admitted also to corruptly accepting four cheques drawn on Dooley's account as a reward for fixing certificates to maps in relation to the affairs or business of the Land Registry.
Last February, Byrne received a six-month suspended sentence, Rainsford, Quinn and Dooley all got one-year suspended sentences and were fined €20,000, €10,000 and €20,000 respectively.
Judge Delahunt had adjourned the case to allow for preparation of probation reports to determine if the men were eligible for community service.
She ordered that Bryne carry out 80 hours' community service, and Rainsford, Quinn and Dooley all do 100 hours, which had to be served within 12 months or they would they be jailed for a year.
Judge Delahunt heard that the Land Registry lost €15,000 after Rainsford was personally paid €15.50 rather than the €25 registry fee each time he provided Dooley's with copies of folios and file plans. Rainsford got a total of €12,508, almost €100 per week, over 30 months for this service.
Byrne, a senior clerical officer, was paid a total of €300 after he photocopied legitimate copies of documents and signed another staff member's name to the document.
Quinn, an examiner in charge of the mapping section, received €2,400 after he also organised for the attachment of certificates to maps at a quicker rate.

- Sonya McLean