Meath firms fined for employment law breach

Two Co Meath firms have been fined in court for breaches of employment laws.

The prosecutions were initiated by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and heard before Navan District Court.

Prosecuting solicitor David McEntee told the court that Abaiy and Acres Ltd, trading as Fifty 50 restaurant at Kennedy Road Navan had been visited by inspectors from the Workplace Relations Commission and it was found after an inspection of documents that there was no organisation of working time documentation as regards the employment of staff. While there was documentation available for floor staff there was no documentation for kitchen staff. A lawyer for the company said that the firm now had everything in order. There were no previous convictions. Judge Gerry Jones imposed a fine of €2,000 with €991 costs.

Separately, a firm named as M D Burns and Co trading as More 4 Less shop of Kilbrew, Ashbourne was prosecuted by the same Minister. Mr McEntee said that an inspection had been carried out and it was found that a person employed at the premises between 15th October and 12th November 2024 had no appropriate employment permit.

Defending solicitor Maurice Regan said that a guilty plea had been entered at an early stage. A husband and wife who were Filipino were recruited to work in the premises and they supplied PPS number and bank accounts. When it was discovered they had no work permits they had been dismissed, he said.

The judge imposed a fine of €1,500 with €1,000 costs.

- Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme