Courts / Ireland / Report
First group accused of anti-competition offences in school bus services get trial date
Summary
The Central Criminal Court has fixed a trial date for the first group of five defendants accused of anti-competition offences in the provision of school bus services. Mr Justice Paul McDermott, acting on an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions, set January 27, 2025, as the start date for this trial, which is estimated to last five weeks. The case will be managed by Mr Justice David Keane. The remaining eight defendants, including three companies, will also be managed by Mr Justice Keane, but no trial date has yet been assigned for this second group. The 13 accused, comprising individuals and entities such as Larry Hickey, Noel Browne, Frances Collison, Andrew Walsh, Margaret Callanan, Edward Callanan, Raymond Heney, Anthony Flynn, Elaine Glasheen, and Malachy Collison, are alleged to have entered into or authorized agreements between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016. These alleged agreements purported to prevent, restrict, or distort competition in trade regarding school bus services in the State. The charges are brought under sections 4(1), 6(1), 8(1), and 8(6) of the Competition Act 2002. The prosecution, acting at the behest of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, previously sought to split the trial into two batches due to practical difficulties, a request the court acceded to. The matter remains at the pre-trial stage, with the first group's trial scheduled for 2025.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: First group accused of anti-competition offences in school bus services get trial date. Charges or matters: enter into or implement an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services; authorise or consent to the said undertaking entering into or implementing an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial
When:
- January 27, 2025 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 1, 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 1, 2014 Other
- December 31, 2016 Other
- 2023-11-03 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: enter into or implement an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services (Alleged Or Contested)
Defendant
Charges: authorise or consent to the said undertaking entering into or implementing an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services (Alleged Or Contested)
Defendant
Charges: enter into or implement an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services (Alleged Or Contested)
Defendant
Charges: authorise or consent to the said undertaking entering into or implementing an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services (Alleged Or Contested)
Defendant
Charges: enter into or implement an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services (Alleged Or Contested)
Defendant
Charges: enter into or implement an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services (Alleged Or Contested)
Defendant
Charges: authorise or consent to the said undertaking entering into or implementing an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services (Alleged Or Contested)
Defendant
Charges: enter into or implement an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services (Alleged Or Contested)
Defendant
Charges: enter into or implement an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services (Alleged Or Contested)
Applicant
Defendant
Charges: authorise or consent to the said undertaking entering into or implementing an agreement that prevented, restricted or distorted competition in trade in the provision of school bus services (Alleged Or Contested)
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Annray House
- Golden Road
Topics
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