Ex-Clare TD tells court she cannot pay off €6,500 WRC debt as she has no income
Former Independent Clare TD Violet Anne Wynne told a court that she currently has no income to pay off a €6,500 debt from a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) award against her.
At Ennis District Court, Ms Wynne said: 'I am currently unemployed so I don't have an income at this point in time'.
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Ms Wynne was appearing in court concerning a Determination Order that her former constituency office worker Fiona Smyth secured last December in court concerning a then unpaid €11,500 unfair dismissal award made by the WRC.
The Determination Order matter was re-entered as the solicitor for Ms Smyth, Daragh Hassett, told the court that Ms Wynne has paid over only €5,000 of the €11,500, leaving €6,500 outstanding.
In court last December, Ms Wynne said she would pay down the debt from her Dáil termination payment.
Judge Alec Gabbett warned Ms Wynne on Friday in court that non-payment 'becomes a criminal sanction as it is an offence to disobey a court order'.
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In court on Friday, Ms Wynne said: 'I know that when we were here the last day that I hoped to make the commitment to make the payment in full.'
Ms Wynne said that at the time it was her understanding 'that I would be able to draw some of my pension payment and that is how I made the partial payment in the first instance'.
Judge Gabbett said to her 'you said that you were getting a lump sum on retirement from Dáil Eireann?'
Ms Wynne said 'as it transpires they changed the pension scheme for new TDs elected in 2020'.
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'It was, I suppose, crossed wires where it wasn't fully outlined to me,' she told the court.
Mr Hassett said that it was open to Ms Wynne to make the outstanding €6,500 in instalments.
In response, the mother of six said she was 'not in a position to make any commitment here today'.
Asked by Judge Gabbett whether she could make payments on a weekly or monthly basis, Ms Wynne said not currently but that may change in the very near future.
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Ms Wynne said she is unemployed at the moment and her partner is also off work due to illness.
She said her partner's epilepsy seizures have returned and he has been referred for further treatment to find out why they have returned.
Ms Wynne said the seizures have returned since May 17th 'and he hasn't been able to work either so we have no income coming into our household'.
Judge Gabbett asked: 'Not even social welfare?'
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In response, Ms Wynne said: 'No - none of that has been explored at this point.'
Mr Hassett asked that Ms Wynne file a statement of means to the court for an adjourned date.
He said: 'I am none the wiser after hearing what she has had to say about how she lives day to day.'
Judge Gabbet commented: 'Neither am I."
Mr Hassett said: 'You have been told by Ms Wynne that there is nothing coming into the house – I find that hard to believe and I would ask that she file a statement of means.'
Judge Gabbett directed that the statement of means be provided including bank statements.
THh judge adjourned the case to July 11th and told Ms Wynne: 'I would rather not go the enforcement route.'
Last August, the WRC ordered Ms Wynne to pay the €11,500 after finding that Ms Smyth was unfairly dismissed by Ms Wynne.
Ms Wynne – who received a TD's annual salary of €113,679 – lost her seat in the November general election in Clare, receiving only 310 first preference votes as an Independent candidate. In the 2020 general election she topped the poll as a Sinn Féin candidate.
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