A Connemara man charged with indecently exposing himself to children at an Irish school last year has been remanded in custody.

70 year old Joe Finnerty, with an address in Rosmuc, appeared before Galway District Court where he was deemed fit to plea following the submission of a psychiatric assessment.

Garda Brendan Kineavy gave evidence of complaints from witnesses that Finnerty had exposed himself to children aged 10 to 13 and offered them money for sexual acts on dates between 14th and 27th July last year.

Finnerty also pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a nurse at Merlin Park Hospital where he was convalescing as a patient in September last year and to a theft offence at Penneys in Eyre Square on 2nd August last year.

Defence solicitor Sarah O’ Dowd referred to the psychiatric report which stated that a fall in June last year resulted in brain injury which may have impacted on her client's behaviour.

Judge Mary Fahy adjourned what she described as "a complex case" to Monday February 20th pending an update on the man's future living arrangements and a report from the probation service.