A MAN has pleaded guilty to failing to make tax returns on substantial earnings while claiming unemployment assistance in a case that may have cost the State up to €1.8 million in lost revenue.

Daniel Kelleher, Stoneyridge, Shanakiel, appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday to answer 35 charges in the first ever case brought jointly by the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social Welfare.

Kelleher pleaded guilty to 12 sample charges including two counts of making false statements with the purpose of obtaining Jobseekers Allowance contrary to section 251(1) of Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 between March 13th, 2006 and September 2nd, 2008.

He pleaded guilty to one count of failing to make tax returns for 2007 and three counts of failing to remit VAT payments for November/December 2005, November/December 2006 and July/August 2008, all contrary to the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.

Kelleher pleaded guilty to three sample counts of making an incorrect VAT return for November/ December 2005, July/August 2006 and March/April 2007 contrary to the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997.

He pleaded guilty to one sample count of making an incorrect tax return for 2005 and to two counts of failing to make a VAT return for January/February 2008, July/August 2008. The sum at issue is in dispute, with Pearse Sreenan, prosecuting, saying it was €1.8 million while Tom Power, for Kelleher, said it would be less.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin agreed to a defence application for an adjournment until November 11th.