A TIMBER processing company yesterday pleaded guilty to six separate charges of polluting the atmosphere at its plant in the east Clare village of Scarriff.
At Killaloe District Court, company secretary of Finsa Forest Products Ltd, Michael O’Rourke, signed a plea of guilty on six separate charges on dates between April 26th, 2007 and February 27th, 2008.
The company is pleading guilty to causing or permitting emissions at its plant exceeding the terms of its Integrated Pollution Control Licence issued to it by the Environmental Protection Agency in June 2006.
Last September, a District Court judge declined jurisdiction in the case at Killaloe District Court after hearing an outline of the evidence by the agency.
After jurisdiction was declined, the Director of Public Prosecutions took on the prosecution and in court yesterday, State solicitor Martin Linnane said five of the 11 charges against the company could be struck out. Mr Linnane said the company was going forward on a signed plea to the Circuit Court on the remaining six charges.
Judge Joseph Mangan fixed a bail bond of €500 for Mr O’Rourke pending the company’s appearance in the circuit court.
Finsa Forest Products is one of the chief employers in east Clare.
Its most recent accounts to the Companies Office show that it increased its profits from €601,000 in 2006 to €3 million to the end of 2007.
The firm’s main activity is the sale of timber, mainly to distributors, kitchen manufacturers and businesses in the construction industry. Spanish group Financiera Madera SA owns Finsa.
Ireland is its largest market with sales of €28 million, while the remainder of the sales, €12 million, were completed in the EU. The firm employs 156 people in Ireland.
