A building company director who was jailed in connection with breaches of health and safety regulations on a construction site was freed by a High Court judge yesterday after spending three days in prison.
However, Jason Madden's company, Kilkishen Homes Limited, was fined €10,000 for contempt of an undertaking, given to the court, to comply with the regulations.
Mr Madden told Mr Justice Kelly he would make sure that what had happened at the Kilkishen Homes site at Monroe, near Nenagh, Co Tipperary - which was twice closed on the application of the Health and Safety Authority - would never happen again. The site is to remain closed with the matter returned to Monday next. However, both sides are free to apply to the court before then.
Kilkishen Homes, with a registered address at Henry Street, Limerick, has been before the court several times over the past three months over breaches of health and safety regulations on the site at Monroe, where it is building houses.
On Friday, the judge directed that Jason Madden, of Kilkishen, Co Clare, be kept in prison until the case came back to court. When the case came before the judge yesterday, Mr Madden said he understood the reality of the undertaking he had given.
Dealing with the proceedings against Kilkishen Homes Ltd, Mr Justice Kelly said he was satisfied a breach of regulations had taken place on its site. In particular, there had been a failure to provide scaffolding on the outside of a building when men were working on the roof.
The judge said he would fine the company €10,000 for contempt of court to be paid within 28 days.