Gambling addict admits claiming pandemic payment while working in Cork bookies

The accused is paying the department back at €10 per week and a lump sum of €1,500 was brought to court by the accused.

The court heard the accused "was working in the gambling industry in a betting shop and he became addicted to gambling – effectively being paid his wages and gambling them". File photo

A young man working in a betting office who developed an addiction to gambling ended up claiming the Pandemic Unemployment Payment when he was actually working.

A prosecution against him was brought on behalf of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

Donnacha O’Leary of 183 Rathpeacon Road, Farranree, Cork, pleaded guilty to the fraudulent claiming of the PUP payment. The charge referred to the making of a false or misleading statement or representation to the effect that he was unemployed at a time when he was in employment.

State solicitor, Frank Nyhan, said the PUP claim was made by the defendant, who is in his mid-20s, from October 2020 to January 2021 at a time when the claimant was working and not entitled to the payment. Mr Nyhan said €4,900 was paid to the defendant in the relevant time.

Donal Daly, defence solicitor, said the accused was paying the department back at €10 per week and that a lump sum of €1,500 was brought to court by the accused.

However, there was a complicating factor in the case in that the accused previously received a total of €4,500 in an on overpayment of welfare, for which he was not prosecuted for any offence but on foot of which he is making repayments.

Mr Daly said that while the accused wanted to pay the department back in respect of the case on which he was prosecuted they would not receive payments from him until the earlier overpayment matter was fully repaid by the accused. Judge Marian O’Leary noted that the defendant was effectively trying to repay €4,500 and €4,900.

The judge said that she would grant a lengthy adjournment for the full repayment of all monies by the defendant. The case was adjourned until May 17 next year for penalty and Judge O’Leary said there would be no further adjournments.

Mr Daly said in mitigation: “Unfortunately, Mr O’Leary was working in the gambling industry in a betting shop and he became addicted to gambling – effectively being paid his wages and gambling them. He got into a cycle.” 

The solicitor said the defendant understood the betting office was to close during the Covid pandemic so he signed on for the PUP payment. However, he stayed on working for a few months after signing on for PUP.