Businesses fined for breaching law on underage workers

THE owners of four Dublin hotels and pubs were fined over €20,000 yesterday after admitting they had underage workers on their premises into the early hours of the morning.

Hotel owner David Grant of Deerpark Avenue, Castleknock, was fined €8,250. He pleaded guilty to 11 offences which took place at Carnegie Court Hotel, North Street, Swords, Co Dublin.

In Dublin District Court Judge Patrick Clyne fined him €750 on each offence after hearing that on four occasions last summer a 15-year-old boy had worked until 3am. Four other teenagers, aged between 16 and 17, had also worked until 3am on different occasions, the court heard.

The action was taken by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment under the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996, which bans employing 15-year-olds after 8pm and 16 and 17-year-olds after 10pm.

Earlier this month Dublin company Thomas Smyth & Sons Ltd, which owns two pubs, was fined a maximum €66,500 after a judge accused company director Noel Smyth of "child exploitation".

On that occasion, Judge John Coughlan ordered gardaí to object to the licences when they come up for renewal in September.

During yesterday's hearing, labour inspector Martin Dowd described how in a random check of Mr Grant's company records he uncovered the breaches relating to April, May and June 2004.

Fines totalling €6,750 €750 in respect of each of nine breaches of the legislation were imposed on Howth Railway Refreshment Rooms Ltd, Howth, Co Dublin.

It was found one 15-year-old had worked for 11 hours in one day, four hours more than the legal maximum.

Admitting six breaches of the underage working law, White Sands Hotel, Beach Road, Portmarnock, Co Dublin, was fined a total of €4,500.

It was stated on behalf of the company how a young person's mother also worked there two to three nights a week and the hotel "facilitated" her son so that he could get a lift home.

Duffy Arms Ltd of Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, was fined €750 because a 17-year-old worked excessive hours at the company's Malahide pub.

Yesterday Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen welcomed the outcome of the court cases.

"These cases along with recent similar prosecutions highlight for employers that breaches of this legislation will not be tolerated," he said.