A county Leitrim Fine Gael local election candidate has 15 criminal convictions spanning a quarter-century.
Dromahair man Kevin Comiskey has previous convictions for failing to submit an income tax return, drunk driving and twice using illegal green diesel in his car.
Taoiseach Simon Harris recently told a special Fine Gael convention confirming him as leader that the party “stands for law and order”.
He ‘would have’ informed the law and order party
Fine Gael last year selected Kevin Comiskey, a first-time candidate, to run for the party in next month’s local elections.
He runs a farm in Fivemilebourne in county Leitrim and was previously chairman of the Irish Farmers’ Association national sheep committee. His brother Michael was a Fine Gael senator from 2011 to 2016.
In 2010 he received his 15th criminal conviction after failing to submit his 2008 income tax return. Comiskey was fined €750 for the offence.
The Fine Gael candidate in June 2000 pleaded guilty to drunk driving before Manorhamilton District Court and was disqualified for two years. Seven years prior, in September 1993, he had the length of a previous driving ban reduced on appeal.
In 1993 Revenue customs and excise officers caught Comiskey driving a car that contained agricultural diesel, a cheaper fuel illegal to use in private vehicles. In September 1994 he was convicted of the fuel offence and received a fine of £500 (€635).
Comiskey was later caught using green diesel in his private car a second time by customs officers. Manorhamilton District Court convicted him of the offence in October 1996, fining him £500.
In July 1987, March and October 1990, 1991, and June 2008, Comiskey was convicted, in Sligo and Leitrim, of various road and traffic offences, including driving an untaxed car previously declared off the road, failing to display both tax and insurance discs and driving without a licence, among others.
Comiskey told The Ditch today that he “would have” informed Fine Gael about his criminal convictions but would need to “check his records” to confirm if he had.
Fine Gael has been contacted for comment.
