Minister should accept money in cheques, coins, cows and sheep

A judge said that if Finance Minister Michael Noonan is offered money in cows and sheep, he should accept it.

At Kilrush District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan made his comment when describing the Garda Fixed Charge Processing Unit’s decision to refuse payment of a fine, from a motorist caught driving while holding a mobile phone, in two cheques as “utterly daft”.

Judge Durcan said: “If the minister for justice is offered money in 20 cheques or in bags of 5c coins or in cattle and sheep or whatever form is offered to him, he should accept it. How daft is the system? How utterly daft have we become?”

Judge Durcan made his comment during the prosecution of Helena Keane, aged 46, of 3 Churchfield, Doonbeg, Co Clare, for the non-payment of a fine for holding a mobile phone while driving on Ennis Road, Kilrush on March 11.

Joseph Chambers, solicitor for Ms Keane, explained to the court that Ms Keane was before the court for the non-payment of the fine as her payment in two cheques to the Garda Fixed Processing Penalty Unit was rejected.

Mr Chambers said that Ms Keane sent through a second cheque after getting a digit incorrect in the first cheque she sent through.

However, the Fixed Charge Processing Unit rejected the payment as it deemed the fine to be unpaid because it was paid in two cheques and Ms Keane — who pleaded guilty to the mobile phone offence — was brought before the court.

Mr Chambers said: “Everything else was in order. She was in time but she got one digit wrong.

“It is not the first time that the Fixed Charge Processing Unit has sent back a cheque to a client because the payment was made in two cheques.”

Addressing Supt Seamus Nolan, Judge Durcan said: “Isn’t that daft? Isn’t that completely daft?”

In response, Supt Nolan said: “It makes no sense to me, judge.”

Judge Durcan said: “This woman, a decent citizen, did everything, got a digit wrong, which is very understandable — sent off her money. She sent a second cheque, because she didn’t want to be spending two taxes on two cheques.”

Judge Durcan said: “She did the correct thing.”

The judge said that he was striking out the charge “because of the daftness, the total daftness of the system”.

“Mr Chambers, your client is to be commended for what she did as a good citizen.”