Minister’s brother didn’t pay €400 duty

The brother of a Government minister has been convicted of not paying the duty on a quantity of cigarettes after a senior lawyer for the Revenue Commissioners said the legislation in place does not allow any alternative.

John Daly, of The Paddock, Drinagh, Co Cork, first pleaded guilty last October to failing to declare €400 of cigarettes he had for sale in his shop, detected in a Revenue inspection in November 2016.

However, the 50-year-old, a postmaster and a brother of Fine Gael TD and minister of state Jim Daly, had hoped to avoid a conviction.