Longford woman avoids jail after making false social welfare claim

A woman who falsely claimed her spouse was not employed in order to receive payments from social welfare is to have repayments monitored and will reappear in court on October 13, 2020.

Michelle O'Reilly, Ballagh, Newtownforbes, Longford was claiming €134 weekly in social welfare payments by listing her spouse as a dependent but it came to the attention of Garda James Donellan that Ms O'Reilly's husband was flying in and out of the UK on a regular basis to work.

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Defence solicitor John Quinn explained that Ms O'Reilly has been paying back €30 per week and accepted that what she did was wrong.

“She has mortgage arrears of serious proportions. The banks are threatening to repossess, and she has two children,” he said.

“She also has scoliosis and can't work. There was no difficulty when both spouses were working.”

Ms O'Reilly explained to Judge Seamus Hughes that she was a part-time cleaner when she was working and that her husband only comes home once a month. The couple are also paying his rent in the UK on top of their own mortgage.

Ms O'Reilly has been repaying €30 per week and has so far repaid €960.

“She was receiving €361 a week and that's totally gone now,” said Mr Quinn

“That's a change in circumstances,” said Judge Hughes.

“Generally the courts are expected to send you to prison for this. I won't. I don't feel there's any demand from the prosecution.

“I want to monitor her repayments,” he said, adding that Ms O'Reilly should appear in court on October 13 next year.

“Thereafter, it will be finalised by way of a €500 fine.”

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