A 52 year-old former Fianna Fáil councillor who admitted stealing more than €200,000 from a Kildare voluntary housing association, has been jailed for three years for what a judge described as "despicable crimes".

Mark Dalton, from Athy, who is a former member of Kildare County Council and Athy Town Council, was sentenced to four years imprisonment on each of 28 sample counts of theft and forgery.

Judge Martina Baxter suspended the final year, and dated the term from 10 April last when Dalton was remanded in custody at Naas Circuit Court.

He was sentenced at Dundalk Circuit Court this afternoon.

The court in Naas heard the accused had misappropriated a sum of €202,066, the property of the Cill Urnaí Housing Association.

This entailed him forging the signature of Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl on cheques. None of the money had been repaid.

It was stated the accused, married with two daughters in third level education, took the money to feed a gambling habit.

He pleaded guilty to 14 counts of theft and 14 counts of forgery between May 2009 and August 2014.