A DUBLIN man was charged with firearms offences at Kilmainham District Court yesterday morning. Mr Lawrence Byrne of Oldcourt View, Tallaght, was arrested at his home at 7.30 a.m. yesterday.
He was charged with 28 counts of unlawful possession, manufacture, repair and selling of firearms.
The man's solicitor said his client was presently unemployed and undertaking a number of courses in an attempt to become self-employed. The court heard that Mr Byrne had worked in a Dublin hospital for 22 years, but had lost his job.
Det Garda Martin Connolly, objecting to bail, said he had confidential information that Mr Byrne would abscond.
Judge Gillian Hussey remanded Mr Byrne on his own bail of Pounds 5,000 and an independent surety of Pounds 25,000. As a condition of bail she ruled that he should surrender his passport to gardai.
His solicitor had earlier told the court that his client's passport had been seized by gardai in a raid on his house last August and Mr Byrne had receipts to prove this.
Judge Hussey said the passport should be surrendered and if gardai already had the passport it should remain in their possession. The defendant was also ordered to report to Tallaght Garda station daily as a condition of bail.
Mr Byrne's solicitor said the amount of the bail would "effectively deprive (Byrne) of his liberty".
But Judge Hussey said that because of the seriousness of the charges she was not willing to consider a lesser amount.
The defendant was remanded on bail to reappear at Kilmainham District Court on July 15th.