Danny Healy-Rae company highest paid for works by council

The company owned by the Kerry county councillor and now Kerry general election candidate Danny Healy-Rae was the highest paid plant hire and haulage contractor to Kerry County Council last year for works.

Thu, 25 Feb, 2016 - 00:00

Anne Lucey

The three directors of Healy-Rae Plant Hire Ltd of Main St, Kilgarvan, are Danny Healy-Rae, his wife Eileen and their son Johnny, also a county councillor.

The Healy-Rae plant hire and haulage company earned almost €275,000 from county council work in 2015.

The company is consistently among the top plant hire earners each year, according to the written reports which are released by way of council motions placed by the Independent councillor Brendan Cronin, who represents the Killarney area.

The council says contracts are awarded on merit, cost, and a number of other rigorous factors with regard to compliance.

Johnny Healy-Rae, who runs the day to day operations since 2004 said yesterday: “We are not one bit apologetic for being on the list and all our employees and their families wouldn’t thank us for not being on the list.”

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A total of €2,885,960 was paid by Kerry County Council to over 90 private plant hire operators, some 31 of whom earned under €2,000. The sum also includes a payment of €223,096 to the collector general.

Other companies to have earned over €100,000 include Clancy Plant Hire of Knockanure, Listowel, which received more than €218,000. Sandmore Ltd of Camp Cross Tralee was paid €185,125. Tommy Finucane Haulage of Ballydesmond Co Cork received €135,022. Eamon & Seamus Hobbins Ltd of Coolroe, Killorglin was paid almost €119,836. Another Kilgarvan company, Kevin Randles & Neil Randles was paid over €130,000.00.

The council said all work is put out to tender.