Healy-Rae gives alibi to neighbour accused of poaching

[JimC]

In light of recent discussion here about netting in Kerry - It will be tough to change the mentality down there!

Healy-Rae gives alibi to neighbour accused of poaching
OWEN O'SHEA – 07 SEPTEMBER 2013

INDEPENDENT TD Michael Healy-Rae has condemned a 'secret recording' of a conversation he had with a senior official of Inland Fisheries Ireland in connection with a case in which his neighbour was accused of illegal fishing and assaulting a fisheries officer.

Mr Healy-Rae was offered as an alibi in court yesterday for John Joseph O'Reilly, who was accused of six breaches of the Fisheries Acts.

Mr O'Reilly of Main Street, Kilgarvan, Co Kerry, was charged with the offences at a sitting of Kenmare District Court. However, the charges were withdrawn by solicitor Kevin Quirke on behalf of Inland Fisheries Ireland.

Solicitor for Mr O'Reilly, Padraig O'Connell, told Judge James O'Connor the prosecution should never have been pursued. He said there were eight witnesses ready to be presented to the court – including Mr Healy-Rae – who could provide Mr O'Reilly with an alibi.

ASSAULTING

Mr O'Reilly was alleged to have been present at 'Pluck Pool' on the north bank of the Roughty River near Kilgarvan at 10.20pm on April 29, 2012, and was said to have been in possession and control of a fishing net. The charges also included obstructing, impeding and assaulting a fisheries officer.

Mr O'Connell told the court that Mr Healy-Rae telephoned Inland Fisheries Ireland to offer an alibi for Mr O'Reilly.

"Mr Healy-Rae gave a cast-iron alibi by way of a phone call to the fisheries board," said Mr O'Connell. That call was recorded, unknown to Mr Healy-Rae.

"Despite this, the prosecution was subsequently pursued," said Mr O'Connell.

The content of the phone-call from Mr Healy-Rae was not revealed as all of the charges against Mr O'Reilly were withdrawn in court. Mr O'Reilly was awarded costs of €250.

Speaking after the case, Mr Healy-Rae said he had been completely vindicated in contacting a senior official of Inland Fisheries Ireland on May 4, 2012.

On the night in question, he had asked Mr O'Reilly to tend to one of his heifers and Mr O'Reilly had done so.

"This man was completely innocent and I knew that. I was just being honest and offering what had happened to the IFI.

"But to think I was being secretly recorded by a senior official there is an absolute disgrace," he said.

Irish Independent

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/co ... 60110.html

[hurler01]

The camera phone seems to be the way of catching people in the act of poaching. If you get a good quality photograph plus the photograph will have a time on it.

[flyno]

Any government department and most companies that you call now will tell you that calls may be recorded bla bla bla. So if its ok for the revenue, which is part of the government that he represents to record my calls i think it should be fair that the shoes on the other foot now and again.. After all, if it wasnt for the recordings about bankers etc being released earlier this year, a lot of people would still believe half the cr*p that comes out of politicians/bankers mouths.. I would love to hear the recording, after all this is the man that said farmers should be allowed to drink and drive... As for the story, stinks of political interference to me, after all, SOMEONE had a net in their possession and SOMEONE assaulted the fisheries officer... 8 witnesses, i can get 8 witnesses to say that i was/wasnt doing anything, i wonder if they would believed me as as quick...

[willie bendit]

A grade A gobshite....why the fcuk do we put up with these eejits ?

[JAMMYJOEY]

Disgusting. Doesn't matter where they come from but there are very few polititians with integrity any more. In this case i don't know the guy, but he sounds like a complete arsehole.

[agardiner22]

a disgusting backward gobsh*t who is stuck in a timewarp

[danbrosnan]

Who knows what happened in this case lads, but I tell you there no other place in the world this kinda s*** would happen..


As far as I know the roughty is closed for fishing and still the place is been tormented...

That's the sad point that they just can't leave these rivers alone they will kill everything first...

[spindlefist]

As aside note, along the lines of the camera phones- perhaps all fishery officers could have wearable cameras such as gopros, chest mounted, very effective,mall cops use them in the USA nowadays to capture incidents. Proof is right there then in HD with audio.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Ox6n4bdd8

[KeithC]

That man is an absolute joke the stunts hes pulled over the years

[MAC]

That man is an absolute joke the stunts hes pulled over the years

Yet the Healy Rae's continue to get elected. Looks like they have "secured" another lifetime voter. Unless the people of Kerry want it to change, it will not.... simple.

Kerry, especially West Kerry (and Cork) is a rural area that gets a significant lifeline from tourism. That contribution would be worth tens of thousands of poached Salmon if they would just protect their fisheries. What's equally amazing is that the hospitality industry is not up in arms about the poaching and now the protection of the poachers... madness

Maybe they are happy with the tourisim they have got and are happy to let Angling Tourisim die a death, like it is all over the counrty.

[davybrown99]

That man is an absolute joke the stunts hes pulled over the years

Yet the Healy Rae's continue to get elected. Looks like they have "secured" another lifetime voter. Unless the people of Kerry want it to change, it will not.... simple.

Kerry, especially West Kerry (and Cork) is a rural area that gets a significant lifeline from tourism. That contribution would be worth tens of thousands of poached Salmon if they would just protect their fisheries. What's equally amazing is that the hospitality industry is not up in arms about the poaching and now the protection of the poachers... madness

Maybe they are happy with the tourisim they have got and are happy to let Angling Tourisim die a death, like it is all over the counrty.

Spot on there Mac. Pure madness in every sense

[PhilD]

These people should be tazered by the fisheries officer...
The poacher deserves a dressing down too.

[Stan]

Gombeen politics. These "politicians" and their likes are responsible for the awful situation that Ireland is in today. "Jim will fix it" ...just give us your vote.

Yet I bet that they will get elected again

[declan65]

Gombeen politics. These "politicians" and their likes are responsible for the awful situation that Ireland is in today. "Jim will fix it" ...just give us your vote.

Yet I bet that they will get elected again

Totally agree Stan, if it wasn't so pathetic you'd have to laugh, nepotism and gombeen politics runs rife there and oh yeah he WILL get elected again....
The public though gets the politicians it deserves imo

[lucky13]

ahh c'mon now like...just when you think you've heard it all...sounds like a sketch from the savage eye...
for f#*ksake tis sad boy.

[jgraham768]

well come on lads its not the counties fault for it! How many sport anglers do you think are in kerry? in camparison with commercial fisherman, pub owners, farmers and all the types of people the Healy Rae's have helped all along. Believe me I'm not supporting him at all but there's not a whole lot we can do about when we're such a vast majority!