Former company director convicted and fined in prosecution taken by the Pensions Authority

05 June 2015: In Carlow District Court, on Thursday 4 June 2015, James O’Connor, a former company director of Staplestown Plant Hire Ltd with an address of Staplestown (Graves), Murrintown, Co. Wexford pleaded guilty to offences contrary to section 58A(1) of the Pensions Act, 1990, as amended, for failing to remit employee pension contributions to the trustee of the Construction Workers Pension Scheme (CWPS) within the statutory time limit. Judge Colm Daly convicted and fined Mr O’Connor €2,140.

There were 19 section 58A(1) charges before the Court covering employee deductions not remitted to CWPS between the period November 2009 - May 2011 of approximately €21,406. Mr O’Connor was a director of Staplestown Plant Hire Ltd during this period.

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David Malone
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Tel (01) 6131900

Note to Editors

The Pensions Authority

The Pensions Authority (“the Authority”) is the statutory body established by the Pensions Act 1990 (“the Act”) to regulate occupational pension schemes, trust based RACs and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs) and to advise the Minister for Social Protection on overall pension policy development. See www.pensionsauthority.ie

Under the Act, the Authority has power to carry out investigations into alleged breaches of the Act and to ensure that trustees, employers, pension administrators and their advisers comply with their obligations to current and former employees in relation to their pension contributions and benefits.

The Authority’s powers allow it to conduct on-site visits without notice, seize and copy relevant documents; enter dwellings on foot of a warrant, and to prosecute any person that contravenes the provisions of the Act.