Woman to be charged over rugby tour fiasco

A CHARGE of operating an illegal rugby tour is to be made against a businesswoman before Limerick District Court today.

Pamela O'Neill, aged 31, of Patrickswell, Co Limerick, is due to appear before the court for allegedly organising a trip for Munster rugby supporters to Italy last year without a proper licence.

The prosecution is understood to have resulted from an investigation by the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) into complaints from travel agents in the mid-west that Ms O'Neill has been operating overseas rugby tours without being part of a bonding scheme to compensate dissatisfied customers.

Ms O'Neill was also the organiser of a similar trip to bring Irish rugby fans from Shannon to Italy last weekend for Ireland's opening match in the Six Nations championship.

However, the four-day tour was beset by problems and delays after the original airline chartered to bring 300 fans to Rome cancelled the flight because it had not been paid.

It was only after frantic negotiations that the group was able to travel out to Italy late on Friday night. Two aircraft were sourced at the last minute after several businessmen who were part of the group provided their credit card details to another airline.

The return journey from Rome on Monday evening was also delayed by at least five hours, while passengers were also accommodated in a different hotel to the one originally stated in travel documentation.

One woman who travelled with the group claimed yesterday that people who attempted to complain about delays and speak to journalists at Shannon Airport last Friday were harassed by other travellers.

The Commission for Aviation Regulation is likely to investigate the latest tour after allegations were made that tickets were issued in the name of Pennywell Rugby Club a previously unknown organisation which is not licensed to operate overseas travel.

It is understood that Ms O'Neill is also organising a similar trip for Munster rugby supporters to the Heineken Cup quarter final against Biarritz in April.

Such tours have proven a big hit with sports fans in the Munster area as they have been up to 35% cheaper than charter flights operated by other travel agents.

However, the CAR warned Ms O'Neill in January 2003 that she was not licensed to act as a travel agent or tour operator for the purpose of arranging overseas travel. Although Ms O'Neill subsequently applied for a licence, she did not provide the CAR with required documentation to become a licensed travel operator.

Under the Transport (Tour Operators and Travel Agents) Act 1992, anyone summarily convicted of not having a proper licence faces a term of imprisonment of up to 12 months as well as a maximum fine of €635.

However, if either party elects to have the case heard before a jury, a person can face a jail sentence of five years and a fine of up to €127,000 upon conviction.