Former Bord Pleanála Deputy Chair Paul Hyde has been given a suspended prison sentence and fined €6,000 for failing to declare property interests. 

Mr Hyde pleaded guilty to not declaring a small piece of land at Pope’s Hill in Cork City and other properties while a member of the planning body. 

Under Section 147 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, he was required to declare all properties registered to him. 

He had previously been given two two-month prison sentences after he pleaded guilty in June. 

At an appeal of the severity of the sentence today, however, Judge Colin Daly sentenced Mr Hyde to two concurrent three-month sentences, but suspended both sentences entirely. 

Perceived as 'corrupt'

At the Cork Circuit Appeals Court today, defence barrister Tom Creed said it was “unfortunate” that discourse on social media often portrayed Mr Hyde as being corrupt when he was never investigated for corruption. 

Mr Creed pointed out the properties Mr Hyde did not declare were “in receivership” and he was unaware he had to declare them. 

He said Mr Hyde did not benefit from failing to declare these property interests. 

Mr Daly said Mr Hyde should have been aware of how important it was to declare his interests and said the issue was “at the higher end of the range of culpability”. 

He considered the fact that Paul Hyde had pled guilty, was of good character, had not gained materially, and had lost his job and reputation. 

Mr Hyde has 90 days to pay the €6,000 fine. 

Reporting by Jamie O’Hara.