Civil servant paid €20,000 for passing on information

A CIVIL servant was paid more than €20,000 for passing on confidential information on hundreds of people to private investigators.

Rory Lenihan, a former clerical officer at the Department of Social Welfare in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court yesterday.

Lenihan, a father of five, pleaded guilty to 12 sample charges of stealing information from social welfare recipients and selling them to two private investigators.

The court was told that this information, including the location of those involved as well as their loans, were then passed on to various banks and solicitors’ offices.

Alex Owens, representing the DPP, said in total Lenihan was accused of 41 charges, amounting to a total of €21,898.

Mr Lenihan, who turned 50 yesterday, sat in court surrounded by family, while his sister gave a character witness.

The court heard how in September 2010, Lenihan’s supervisor Paul Bradley became suspicious of his behaviour when he stayed at his desk and used the phone during his lunch-break. The computer system, known as Infosys, required a username and a special password for employees to log into.

Mr Bradley informed his supervisor Des Kernan and an internal investigation was launched. Mr Bradley and Kernan approached Lenihan and he admitted that he was passing on information. The extraction of material had lasted from January 2008 until October 2010.

In total, Lenihan, whose address was given as Ballaghderg, Letterkenny, was paid €23 for information on each person, money which would be paid by credit in lump sums. He was paid the money by two private investigators, a John Buckley, based on the Navan Road, and a Brian Foy, with a business address in Leixlip.

Judge John Aylmer adjourned the case until Friday for sentencing.