Padraig tamed Tiger -- now he catches up with cheetah

Padraig Harrington has mauled the Tiger in his time, but Ireland's three-time Major champion got up close and personal with a real cheetah in South Africa yesterday.

Harrington's hands are his biggest asset, winning him nearly €40m in prize money, but he didn't give it a second thought when offered the chance to get his picture taken patting the big wildcat.

Others were not so brave . . . or foolhardy.

"No way, I like my hands too much," quipped South African golfer Garth Mulroy when asked if he'd like to stroke the cheetah, guest of honour at the opening ceremony for this week's Volvo Champions golf tournament at Fancourt Links in the Western Cape.

The cheetah merely purred and turned to look at Harrington as the Irishman stroked its back.

Even with its handler keeping a tight grip on the lead, Harrington's right hand might have ended up in the kitty litter had the big cat taken a sudden dislike to him.

"I considered it worth the risk," the Dubliner grinned.

In the background, Ryder Cup skipper Jose Maria Olazabalmerely shook his head and laughed at the Irishman's audacity.

Tomorrow on the links at Fancourt, situated halfway betweenCape Town and Port Elizabeth, Harrington begins in earnest his bid to fight his way out of a slump and win his place on Olazabal's team next September in Chicago.

The Irishman makes his 2012 European Tour debut in a field which includes British Open Champion Darren Clarke and his fellow Ulsterman Michael Hoey

Joy as stolen Relics found in field

PRICELESS artefacts which were stolen last year have been recovered.

The relics are said to be part of the crucifix on which Jesus died and have been the subject of devotion and pilgrimage for the past 900 years.

They were taken from the Holycross Abbey in Thurles, Co Tipperary, last October, by two masked men, who used an angle grinder to remove them.

But following a search operation in the midlands this week, gardai recovered the relics.

Last night, officers were reluctant to confirm the location of the find for operational reasons but did say they had been recovered in a field in a rural area.

The undamaged relics were positively identified by the Holycross parish priest Father Tom Breen, who said last night: "The people and the clergy of Holy Cross and the thousands of pilgrims who come to pray at the abbey will be overjoyed at the news that the precious relics of the cross have been found."

Paying tribute to the work of the gardai in recovering the relics, Fr Breen said they would be put back on display but security would be tightened up at the abbey.

"Even though they have no monetary value, they are of enormous devotional importance and must be protected," he added.

The Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Most Rev Dermot Clifford also thanked the gardai and said it was a joyous day for which thousands had been praying since the relics had been stolen.

He said it was still a mystery as to why they were taken as they were of little monetary value.

One of the relics was contained in a 12-inch high gold- and-bronze cross with a glass centrepiece, presented to the abbey by the Vatican in 1977.

The raiders also took a 12-inch high silver cross, which hung from a chain and contained two other crosses and two dark stones. It had been in Holy Cross since 1180.

Gardai are investigating whether the robbery was linked to the theft of three sets of keys from the sacristy while Fr Breen was celebrating a wedding in the previous months.

The abbey was unlocked when the raiders struck and they used the angle grinder to open a steel display frame.

Visitors spotted the gang leaving the church ground and getting into a red Volkswagen Touareg

Clarke reveals new lease of life

Darren Clarke is a changed man – a “Lean Mean Fighting Machine” according to his own website – as he kicks off his season in South Africa tomorrow.

The Open champion, awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours and runner-up in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, has been off the booze and in the gym ahead of the Volvo Golf Champions at Fancourt.

Brilliant and career-defining though his victory at Sandwich was – it came 20 years after his first attempt to lift the Claret Jug – the last five months of 2011 were a big let-down for the 43-year-old Northern Irishman and he does not want the same to be true of 2012.

“My golf career has been extended somewhat by winning the Open Championship and I just thought that enough is enough and it was time to get myself into better shape,” he said.

As soon as the Christmas festivities were over Clarke began working with Belfast-based fitness expert Jonny Bloomfield, recommended to him by stablemate Lee Westwood’s trainer Steve MacGregor.

“Jonny’s a sports scientist and he’s got me doing all sorts in the gym, having my eyes checked out, nutrition etc,” Clarke said.

“Therefore my alcohol consumption is taking a massive dint... currently down to zero! However, no pain, no gain and I’m very excited about the route that we’re going down.

“It’s a long road, but I will give it my best shot.”

Clarke’s extraordinary win from 111th in the world makes him exempt for the Open until he is 61 and, after thinking his days competing in the Masters might be over, he will be at Augusta for the next five Aprils.

The man who won there last spring, South African Charl Schwartzel, is his playing partner in the opening round of this week’s tournament – a 35-man no-cut event reserved for last year’s European Tour winners and anyone with 10 or more victories on the circuit.

That second category allows in Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie and the Scot’s successor as Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal.

Montgomerie, now 48, will be playing the first 18 holes with someone who was not even born when he made his Tour debut in 1996.

That is England’s Tom Lewis, the 21-year-old who with an opening 65 shot the lowest-ever round by an amateur in last July’s Open and then three months later won on only his third professional start at the Portugal Masters.

Harrington partners Ernie Els at the start of what is a huge opportunity for both of them to re-ignite their careers.

Els is down to 71st in the rankings, but Harrington has fallen even further to 89th.

Neither will be in next month’s Accenture world match play championship unless they climb back into the top 64 in the coming four weeks, but the Dubliner does at least know he will be in the Masters thanks to his more recent major wins.

Plan announced to bring down peace walls in the North

A new £2m (€2.4m) fund aimed at bringing down Northern Ireland’s peace walls by building confidence between divided communities has been announced.

There are almost 90 barriers separating Protestant and Catholic neighbourhoods across the region, the vast majority in Belfast. Ironically, more walls have actually been erected during the peace process.

Acknowledging that the infamous landmarks can only be removed with the support of the people living on each side, the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) project hopes to break down some of the non-physical barriers dividing them first.

The IFI’s Peace Walls Programme is designed to be the first stage in a process leading to the removal of the walls.

The money will fund a range of confidence and relationship building initiatives within and between interface communities to help them arrive at a position where residents feel it is safe and appropriate for the walls to come down.

The IFI is an independent, internationally-funded organisation promoting reconciliation between unionists and nationalists throughout all of Ireland.

IFI chairman Dr Denis Rooney said while considerable momentum had built up in recent years for the walls to be removed there was still fear in many communities about them coming down too quickly.

“There are some 88 peace walls/barriers, mainly in Belfast, stretching over 21 kilometres in total,” he said.

“Since the 1994 ceasefire, the number of barriers has grown. However, many community groups, some with the support of the Fund, are doing courageous work across interfaces and in the past few years their conversations have moved towards when, rather than if, the barriers will come down.

“The physical removal of these barriers is a matter for the Department of Justice but the Fund believes that its Peace Walls Programme, which is complementary to other initiatives that are under way, will help create dialogue, build trust and confidence and develop greater cross-community cohesion with a view to communities reaching agreement that it is time to start removing the barriers.

“Although there will be clear criteria for funding, this programme will allow applicants to come up with their own solutions and move at their own pace. It will be flexible by recognising that different communities in Belfast and other areas of Northern Ireland are at various stages of both willingness and readiness to move along this path.”

While there has been some progress on the peace wall issue in some areas - security gates opened at Alexandra Park in north Belfast last summer – in other districts, such as on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast, barriers have been strengthened due to continued interface violence.

Last year Belfast City Council decided to examine whether some of the 40 or so peace walls in the city could be taken down.

Stormont’s Justice minister David Ford has also signalled that a systematic review of the barriers may be undertaken to identify areas where progress can be made.

The Peace Walls Programme has been devised following consultation with all the key stakeholders, including the Department of Justice and the Office of First and Deputy First Minister.

Initially, £2m has been allocated to the programme but the IFI said this could be increased depending on the number and quality of applications.

The Fund is inviting expressions of interest from community organisations for financial assistance.

Funding will be primarily for confidence and relationship building initiatives. However, the Fund will also consider confidence and relationship building initiatives that include a modest capital dimension, such as providing a shared community space.

Expressions of interest are available on the Fund’s website at www.internationalfundforireland.com/media-centre and should be returned to the Fund at PO Box 2000, Belfast, BT4 1WD.

It is hoped that programme activity will start in June.

Mr Ford welcomed the IFI investment.

“A real window of opportunity exists to continue the progress we have made in recent months on interface structures,” he said.

“The more resources we can dedicate to building confidence in interface communities, the greater the opportunities for success.

“The commitment and the funding package announced today by the International Fund for Ireland can only help to bring us closer to the removal of more barriers and I am looking forward to discussing this initiative in greater detail with Denis Rooney.”

Mr Ford said his department had made a commitment to seek local agreement to reduce the number of peace walls.

“The removal of interface structures is a complex issue but recent successes have proved that the conditions can be created within communities to make it a reality.

“Success must come from the ground up and I want to work with and support interface communities across Northern Ireland to bring down barriers where we can and when the time is right.”

Vita Cortex talks continue at LRC

Informal talks between the parties involved in the Vita Cortex dispute in Cork and the Labour Relations Commission continue today.

The first round of negotiations broke up last night without resolution after seven hours.

Thirty-two members of staff at the foam packaging factory in Ballyphehane are continuing with their sit-in at the building, which they began in December.

They are seeking proper redundancy pay, but management has said it cannot afford to compensate them, because NAMA's frozen the company's assets. 

LRC Chairman Kieran Mulvey says the fact that the parties are willing to work together is a positive sign.

Penal Reform Trust pushes for changes in Limerick jail

The Irish Penal Reform Trust has said an action plan to address overcrowding and hygiene concerns at Limerick Prison must be fully implemented.

It follows the publication of a report into conditions at the prison which found that prisoners were being held in cramped and dirty cells.

The Inspector of Prisons found that commitments given, after an earlier report criticised the facility, had not been followed through.

However, the Penal Reform Trust said that some improvements have been made in recent months.

Executive Director of the Trust, Liam Herrick said cut backs in capital spending cannot be used as an excuse for conditions at the prison

TEDFEST

23 - 26 February 2012

Venue: Inis Mór, Aran Islands, Co Galway

The kettle is on and organisers are gearing up for Tedfest 6, with various events taking place on the Aran Islands.

Tedfest is a unique celebration of Fr Ted, and includes highlights such as Ted's Got Talent, The Craggy Cup, The Lovely Girls Contest, The Ronnie Drew Hour (beards mandatory), The Virtual Confession Box, The Craggy Island Kill Bill Festival, The Father Ted Prizeless Quiz, Matchmaking with Nellie, The Pirate Cruise, A Walkling Tour to the Amish Community, etc.

Further details and information in regard to tickets, can be viewed on Tedfest website

Gibson set for Everton debut

New signing Darron Gibson goes straight into Everton’s squad for tomorrow’s match at Aston Villa.

The midfielder was registered in time to be eligible after his move from Manchester United.

A hamstring injury to Sylvain Distin leaves manager David Moyes with more problems at centre-back as Phil Jagielka is still sidelined by a knee problem, which could mean a start for Shane Duffy, who only made his first league appearance as a substitute in the midweek defeat at Tottenham.

Provisional squad: Howard, Baines, Heitinga, Duffy, Neville, Bilyaletdinov, Cahill, Fellaini, Saha, Donovan, Anichebe, Mucha, Drenthe, Gibson, Stracqualursi, McFadden, Gueye, Vellios

New reasonable force law comes into effect

A new law which allows a homeowner to use reasonable force in defending themselves from an intruder comes into force today.

The new Criminal Law - Defence and Dwelling - Act 2011 permits the use of reasonable force to protect people inside the home, the property itself, to prevent the commission of a crime or to make a lawful arrest.

A person who uses reasonable force cannot be sued for damages by a burglar, and will not be guilty of an offence.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter said there are circumstances where people with a licenced shotgun can fire.

"If they believed their life was at risk; if they believed the life of a member of their family was at risk - the answer is yes.

"But if you saw someone, for example, in your front garden, and decided simply to take aim and fire - in no circumstances would that be appropriate unless that individual themselves was, by their conduct, posing a very severe threat."

Ulster Bank redundancy talks to begin today

Talks between trade union representatives and management at Ulster Bank get underway later.

Yesterday the bank confirmed it is to let go 600 workers in the Republic and a further 350 in the North.

It is the second wave of redundancies at the bank after 1,000 people were let go in 2009. The Irish Bank Officials Association (IBOA) has described the scale of this round of cuts as "breathtaking".

IBOA representatives are meeting with management today to discuss the terms of the redundancy on offer, and the union said it will aim to protect as many jobs as possible.

It also wants the cuts to be on a voluntary basis. However Ulster Bank has said it can't rule out the possibility of compulsory redundancies.

UK and Ireland 'need each other'

Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will warn today that the UK and Ireland need each other more than ever because of global uncertainty.

During his first official visit to Ireland to attend the British-Irish Council summit, the Liberal Democrat leader is also expected to say both countries need to stand together as equals to “lead” a European recovery.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will host the talks involving leaders from London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man at Dublin Castle.

During the trip, Mr Clegg will also have separate meetings with President Michael D Higgins, Mr Kenny, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Minister Richard Bruton.

In the evening, Mr Clegg will attend a reception for business leaders held in association with UK Trade & Investment and the British Chambers of Commerce.

He is expected to make reference to the “historic year” in 2011 for UK and Irish relations.

“Eight months ago the symbolism and success of the Queen’s visit and the warmth with which she and Prince Philip were received were recognised worldwide,” the Deputy Prime Minister is expected to say.

“The legacy of history has sometimes shackled our friendship.

“After this last historic year, surely we can say our friendship is shackled no longer. For many people, this is the closest we have been in living memory - some would say the closest we have ever been.”

Mr Clegg is expected to urge even closer ties because in these “extremely uncertain times” Ireland and the UK “need each other more than ever”.

“The challenges we face have brought the importance of our friendship into stark focus,” he will say.

“And we see clearly that so much more unites us than divides us; that we are stronger together – standing shoulder to shoulder as real and equal partners - than we are when we stand apart, and we can play our part together in leading a European recovery.”

Mr Clegg and Mr Gilmore are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding promising even closer co-operation on consular support during international crises.

The pact includes an agreement to share information on crisis planning, a staff exchange programme between the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and improvements in co-operation on staff consular training.

Youth unemployment and the problem of drug abuse in both Ireland and the UK are among the topics to be discussed at the summit.

The British-Irish Council was set up under the Good Friday Agreement to promote harmonious and mutually beneficial development of relations between the UK and Ireland.

As well as the Irish and British Governments, members include the devolved administrations in the North, Scotland and Wales and representatives from the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.

The Dublin summit will be the 17th and follows the most recent gathering in London last June

250 new Waterford jobs announced

Some 250 new positions are being created in Waterford through the expansion of Irish company Eishtec.

The firm provides call centre services at its offices in the Cleaboy Business Park.

Today's investment has the backing of Enterprise Ireland, and the jobs are set to come onstream by the middle of this year.

Recruitment for the new positions is currently underway.

The growth is on the back of Eishtec securing a contract to provide customer service sales support for Orange, one of the UK’s leading mobile telecoms brands. 

"The south-east region has persistently had higher than average levels of unemployment, and has suffered disproportionately from the economic collapse, " Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said.

"In the context of the recent job losses at Talk Talk, today’s announcement that 250 contact centre jobs are to be created by an Irish company in Waterford with State support is a major boost for the city and shows what is possible with the right government priority and determination."

However Minister Bruton said that authorities were not going to address the region’s problems overnight, adding that sructural challenges in the region can only be addressed through a concerted process over several years all stakeholders in the region.

Eishtec was set up by Heather Reynolds, Brian Barry and Colm Tracey in early 2011 and currently employs 30 people. The company is now recruiting for roles across sales campaigns and is in ongoing discussions with additional clients to provide further growth over the longer term.

"This is a significant win for Eishtec, for Waterford and Ireland," Ms Reynolds commented.

"We have the skills and experience in our team to provide the highest quality services to Orange and help support the achievement of its business objectives.

"We're delighted we can maintain a proud tradition in Waterford of providing market-leading customer services to blue chip organisations."

Fine Gael’s Paudie Coffey said the positions being created at the Eishtec call-centre were much needed in the city.

“These jobs come at a time of an unemployment crisis in Waterford where we suffered numerous job losses late last year,” he said.

Mr Coffey said Eishtec is a prime example of entrepreneurs with expertise willing to take a risk and create employment which will help stimulate economic activity in Waterford.

“This is an extremely positive announcement and it is down to the hard work, effort and ambition of the management and staff since the company’s establishment last year,” he said.

“This is a Waterford company that has the potential to grow and expand even further.” 

'Uncertainty' sees fall in jobs advertised on jobs website

There has been a decline in the number of jobs being advertised on the website Irishjobs.ie during the last three months of 2011. 

The sectors performing worst include construction, architecture and property. 

But, the IT sector is still looking for workers, accounting for around 20% of the jobs advertised on the website and demonstrating an increase in demand, particularly in urban areas. 

Doctor Stephen Kinsella, author of the report, said employers may be acting cautiously in the wake of the Budget and the Eurozone crisis.

Dr Kinsella said: "Uncertainty that was created in employers' minds by the Budget and the near-collapse of the eurozone, maybe that fed into the fact that people didn't advertise jobs.

"Perhaps this is a blip and maybe things will get better, but we will know by the end of the next quarter."

Judge backs IBRC in Quinn case

A judge ruled today that former billionaire Sean Quinn was not entitled to file for bankruptcy in the North.

This follows a legal challenge by the Anglo Irish bank which claimed he should be declared bankrupt in the Republic of Ireland, where it is seeking to recover billions in debt from the businessman.

The lender, now rebranded the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC), argued that the 65-year-old’s “centre of main interest” is south of the border.

Mr Justice Donal Deeny, sitting in the High Court in Belfast, ruled in favour of the bank.

The businessman’s multibillion-euro empire collapsed over the last two years on the back of massive stock market gambles on the share price of Anglo.

Since Mr Quinn asked to be declared bankrupt in Belfast in November, he has been hit with two separate judgments of €1.74bn and €416m by the Commercial Court in Dublin over loans from Anglo.

Justice Deeny said: ``I hereby annul the bankruptcy order of November 11 2011, obtained by Sean Quinn, on the ground that it should not have been made as the centre of the debtor's main interests was not in Northern Ireland at the time of bringing the petition but within the jurisdiction of the High Court in Dublin.''

He ordered that Mr Quinn pay the legal costs of both the bank and the Official Receiver.

Mr Quinn lost all control of his business in April.

Outside the court Mr Quinn denied he had ever sought to mislead anyone and said he had always worked in Northern Ireland and had never used his home, just south of the border, as an office.

“I must have got half a dozen offers of leased premises within days of the receiver going in there (to take over his former Quinn Group headquarters in Derrylin).

“I never done a day’s work from southern Ireland in my life. I never done a day’s work in my home. I never had any computers, I never had any IT system. Everything was always done from Derrylin,” he said.

“There was never any question of me deceiving the court and there was never any need for me to deceive the court.”

Asked if he now expected to be made bankrupt in the Republic of Ireland, as the bank has requested, he said he did not know.

“The bankruptcy is just a deflection of what’s going on here,” he added.

Mr Quinn dismissed the legal action by the bank, arguing it was irrelevant whether he was declared bankrupt in the north or the south.

The former tycoon, who had international business interests in cement, insurance, glass and property, said he was being scapegoated by the bank which he said had presided over historic losses.

“The decision today is a no brainer – there’s nothing to it,” he said.

He added: “Whether I am bankrupt in Northern Ireland or southern Ireland - it’s a joke.

“What these people want to do is deflect the main interest ... This thing here is only a sham.”

Before his downfall, his story was a classic rags-to-riches tale.

He began his career with a £100 loan to dig gravel on his father’s farm.

At the height of his success, the man dubbed “The Mighty Quinn” was worth a reputed €4.72bn

Kildare: Three arrested in connection with attempted abduction of family

Three men have been arrested in Dublin this morning in connection with the attempted abduction of a security company employee and his family in April of last year. 

Four armed and masked men attempted to take a man, his pregnant wife and their two-year-old son hostage at their home in Kilmeade, Co Kildare in the early hours of on April 27 last. 

However, a panic alarm was activated and the raiders fled the scene on foot.

This morning, investigating officers arrested three men - two in their late 30s and one in his late 40s - in connection with this incident. 

They are being held at various Garda stations in Co Kildare under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act

La Senza workers stage Liffey Valley sit-in

Workers at lingerie firm La Senza are staging a sit-in at the company's store in Liffey Valley in Dublin, after the firm went into administration yesterday. 

The lingerie company operates 15 shops in Ireland and employs more than 100 people here. 

Workers who now face redundancy say they fear they will not be paid for overtime in December and are concerned about their redundancy entitlements.

One former La Senza employee told Cork's RedFM that staff from branches all over the country were joining the sit-in at Liffey Valley.

"I'll be heading up to Dublin myself. We might as well centralise it - we feel we'll get more attention that way," she said.

Rehn spokesman: No indication of second bailout for Ireland

A spokesperson for the European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Olli Rehn has said there is nothing to indicate that a second bailout will be needed for Ireland.

Amadeu Altafaj made the comments as officials from the EU, ECB and the IMF meet at the Department of Finance for the fifth review of the bailout.

They will examine last month's Budget and the lower-than-expected tax returns for 2011.

Yesterday, Citigroup chief economist at one of the world's biggest bank Citigroup Willem Buiter said Ireland should begin negotiations on a second bailout.

Today Rehn spokesman Amadeu Altafaj said any renegotiation of the terms of the first bailout could destabilise the markets.

"The way that Ireland will honour its financial commitments is important to reinforce the confidence of the markets," he said.

Two arrested in connection with Cork sex assaults

Two men have been arrested as part of an investigation into a serious assault on a woman in Cork last month.

The woman, who is in her 30s, was attacked on the grounds of the Church of the Holy Ghost at Dennehy's Cross on December 3.

The men, aged in their late teens and early 20s, were arrested at addresses in Mallow and Kanturk before 8am today.

They will be questioned about two separate attacks in Cork in the early hours of December 3 last.

Gardaí are also investigating an earlier attack on a woman in her 20s near the Mercy Hospital.

The two men who were detained this morning have been brought to the Bridewell and Togher garda stations

Quinn: Ireland will return to bond markets next year

The Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said the Government is determined to return to the bond markets next year, despite suggestions that Ireland should begin talks on a second bailout.

One of the world's biggest banks, Citigroup, has urged Finance Minister Michael Noonan to negotiate a second bailout in case Ireland remains locked out of the markets.

Launching a €4m science initiative in DCU this morning, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said no decisions had been taken on a second bailout, and that Ireland would return to the bond markets next year.

"We intend still to be in a position to re-enter the markets at the end of 2013 should we want to do so," he said

Man remanded in Dublin church-fire case

A 48-year-old man has been remanded in custody for a further two weeks having been charged with arson following a fire at St Catherine's Church on Meath Street in Dublin last week.

Patrick Currie of no fixed abode appeared at Cloverhill court house this morning.

Firefighters were called to tackle the blaze at the city centre church on the evening of January 2.

Quinn 'not entitled to file for bankruptcy in North', judge rules

A judge in Belfast has ruled that businessman Sean Quinn was not entitled to file for bankruptcy in the North.

Mr Quinn declared himself bankrupt in November over a multi-million euro debt owed to the former Anglo Irish Bank.

The bank, now called IBRC, took the case, arguing that Mr Quinn's usual place of residence was in the Republic and not in the North.

Meeting taking place on pensioner-tax controversy

A meeting is taking place today between the Pensions Ombudsman and officials from the Revenue Commissioners over the pensioner-tax controvery.

Some 115,000 pensioners received letters telling them they owe extra tax as a result of new communication between Revenue and the Department of Social Protection.

Ombudsman Paul Kenny said Revenue needed to apologise for the way it handled the matter and that elderly people had been calling his office in tears.

"It has been intimidating for elderly people…People are desperately worried in some cases," he said. 

"The idea that the collection of arrears is a more or less open-ended thing is a problem for people (because) even if you owe a very small amount of money, if you're on a very tiny income, it's not going to be easy to pay it."

He said he hoped that those who owed a very small amount of money would not be pursued.