The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
A GARDA operation developed in County Clare to combat unlawful money lending, is now being used as a model across the country. Operation Payday targeted unlicensed money lending in Kilrush and was the initiative of the then superintendent in the town, Seamus Nolan, who is now based at the Garda College in Templemore. It resulted in the arrest of five individuals, who are due to face trial before the Circuit Criminal Court in Ennis. If successfully prosecuted, a senior garda believes the case will be “groundbreaking”. He explained the legislation used in this operation, the Consumer Credit Act 1995, is seldom used and is one which has resulted in few successful prosecutions. Operation Payday was rolled out in 2013 and involved months of observation and surveillance by gardaí in Kilrush in an effort to uncover the identity of persons involved in unlawful money lending. In December 2013, gardaí conducted searches and arrests were made, resulting in five people being charged. …
Read More »