Former FF TD claims summons for €1,000 debt was sent to wrong address

Former Fianna Fáil TD Noel O’Flynn did not get a summons to appear in court for a civil hearing over payment of a €1,000 bill for election flyers because it was served on the wrong address and he was on holiday in Mexico, it was claimed yesterday.

Mr O’Flynn expressed “shock, surprise, and disbelief” to find out through the media about a court judgment against him for the payment of the debt.

Yesterday, he got that judgment set aside in Cork District Court, and there will be a full hearing of the civil case early in the new year.

Barrister Jay Gokul told Judge Con O’Leary on behalf of the former FF deputy: “It was through shock and surprise and disbelief he learned of it through media publications of same.”

He said Mr O’Flynn was in Mexico when the summons was served at what he said was the wrong address.

Mr Gokul said his client was unaware of any efforts made by the owners of the Glanmire Community News, Mick Young and John McGuinness, to recover the alleged debt.

He said Mr O’Flynn was in Mexico when a registered letter was sent to him by solicitors acting on behalf of the plaintiffs. Mr Gokul argued that the letter was sent to an address where he had his former constituency office and also had some business interests, but should have been sent to his home in Blarney or his workplace at Westlink Business Park on Mallow Rd, Cork.

Solicitor Micheál O’Dowd, for the plaintiffs, argued against the application to set aside the judgment. “He [Mr O’Flynn] always maintained a place of business in Kilnap, Mallow Rd. He requested that all invoices would be sent to that office,” he said.

Mr Gokul said that if the plaintiffs or anyone else googled Mr O’Flynn, the addresses they would come up with would be his home address in Blarney and the Westlink Business Park address.

Mr Gokul applied to the court to have the judgment, which was handed down against Mr O’Flynn last March, set aside and a date set for a full hearing of the claim for money owned.

He said his client did not deny that work was done but did deny owing the figure of over €1,100 plus costs.

Mr O’Dowd said his client Mr Young would happily give evidence of the efforts he made to get Mr O’Flynn to pay what he described as a minor debt.

Judge Con O’Leary said that on a lodgement by Mr O’Flynn of the contested amount plus €400 expenses, pending a full hearing, he would set aside the judgment and list the case for mention in January for the purpose of fixing a date for hearing.

It is anticipated that the case may be listed for a date the following month.