Eason to donate €1k after selling cigarettes to minor
The company was summonsed to appear at Dublin District Court to face a charge under the Public Health Tobacco Act for selling a tobacco product to a person under the age of 18 at its shop in the Pavillion Shopping Centre in Swords, Dublin.
The prosecution was brought by the HSE and the company pleaded guilty to the charge.
Solicitor Adrian Lennon, prosecuting, told Judge John O’Neill that the offence was committed on May 6 but the company was co-operative and informed the HSE a week in advance of the hearing that it intended to plead guilty.
Mr Lennon also told the court the company had no prior convictions and has agreed to pay €1,230 in prosecution costs.
Judge O’Neill noted from the defence that the bookseller had set up new procedures to prevent it happening again.
This included “refresher training” of staff in all branches and automatic “till prompts” to remind sales assistants to make some enquiries when a cigarette pack is scanned.
They were also willing to donate a sum of charity as well as pay the prosecution costs, the judge noted.
Judge O’Neill said Eason was a reputable company which had pleaded guilty and had no previous convictions.
Adjourning the case for three weeks, the judge said he would strike out the charge if the costs are paid and a sum of €1,000 is donated by Eason to suicide prevention charity Pieta House.
