This article is from page 9 of the 2005-10-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 9 JPG
, Mr Ryan said, “A great many business people in West Clare will also be shocked at this outcome.
“Mr Marrinan is a very well respected member of the
community and he provides an essential service in rural West Clare where a lot of eld- erly people living in isolated homes depend on his business to provide them with oil.
“Mr Marrinan has also of- fered to Clare County Coun- cil to relocate his business to alternative locations, but these were turned down by the council.”
Mr Ryan added that Mr Marrinan had spent in excess of €20,000 in trying to meet the requirements of Clare County Council.
However, solicitor for the Council, Mairead Doyle, told Kilrush District Court, “Mr Marrinan has been playing the system”.
At Kilrush District Court in October 2003, Mr Marrinan was fined €1,500 and given a suspended sentence of three months after failing to com- ply with a Council Enforce- ment Notice to remove the unauthorized structure and cease carrying out business at his oil depot, built without
planning permission.
Mr Marrinan appealed the decision to Ennis Cir- cuit Court in February 2004 Where Mr Marrinan was given three months to remove the structure, or face prison.
However, Mr Marrinan failed to remove the unau- thorized structure and Clare County Council initiated a fresh prosecution as the oil depot was still in place, al- though Mr Ryan told last Wednesday’s court that Mr Marrinan had removed the tankers from the depot, ren- dering the facility inoper- able.
Mr Ryan also said that Mr Marrinan had lodged a plan- ning retention application with the council. This was re- fused and an appeal had been lodged by Mr Marrinan with An Bord Pleanala.
After hearing submissions from Mr Ryan and Ms Doyle, Judge Mangan imposed the three-month jail term and made no order for costs.