Longford estate agent denies €3,000 pandemic payment fraud charges

An estate agent has appeared at Longford District Court charged with fraudulently claiming more than €3,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Payments (PUP).

Fintan McGill (65), of Kilmacannon, Newtownforbes, denies 10 counts of fraudulently claiming the State support between April 28th and June 30th, 2020 at Ulster Bank, Main Street, Longford.

Mr McGill, a former Longford Chamber of Commerce president, stood at the back of the court as solicitor Joan Harrington indicated he would be pleading not guilty plea to the charges. She requested that the matter be heard as soon as possible as Mr McGill was keen to get it “disposed of”.

Judge Seamus Hughes was told that given the circumstances in the case, it could take around three hours for the evidence to be heard.

Judge Hughes said it was unlikely that the case would be able to proceed in the short-term given the large volume of cases currently before the court.

A date of June 8th was pencilled in for the matter to be mentioned again.