Opposition parties are calling on the Fianna Fáil Minister of State Robert Troy to make a statement to the Dáil outlining the full extent of his business and property dealings when politicians return from the summer recess.
Mr Troy is coming under increasing pressure to provide further details around the value of rental contracts he has with Westmeath County Council.
The Longford-Westmeath TD has been at the centre of controversy for failing to declare details of his property interests, and last week made wide-ranging amendments to declarations made for various years in the Oireachtas register of members’ interests. He also apologised for errors in his returns.
While the Taoiseach Micheál Martin again defended Mr Troy on Monday, Opposition parties said more information and a full statement in the Dáil were needed.
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Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy said that “in the interests of transparency, Mr Troy should also confirm if he has leased out properties to Westmeath County Council, under the RAS [Rental Accommodation Scheme], since 2011. He should also confirm the value of those contracts.”
Sinn Féin Chief Whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn also called on Mr Troy to issue further clarifications around his property dealings. He said he wanted to know if “all of his rental properties [were] registered with the Residential Tenancies Board for the full period that they have been rented out”.
[ Robert Troy property controversy: How it unfoldedOpens in new window ]
[ Taoiseach defends Robert Troy over property dealingsOpens in new window ]
[ Minister of State Robert Troy discloses details of substantial property interestsOpens in new window ]
Their comments came after it emerged that Mr Troy had spoken in the Oireachtas calling for more funding for a State rental scheme for which he receives an income, called the Rental Accommodation Scheme. Neither Mr Troy nor his spokeswoman responded to a number of queries from The Irish Times on Monday about the contracts.
A further examination of Mr Troy’s Dáil questions also show that he has raised the plight of small landlords and questioned rules around evictions. During a debate on housing policy in April 2019, Mr Troy said “the reason why small landlords are getting out is because they are taxed to within an inch of their lives”. He said he did not think it was fair that there was a different tax system for institutional investors versus small landlords.
In March last year, he asked about financial supports for landlords where tenants would not leave the property. He specifically asked if eviction proceedings “can advance in relation to tenants who have not paid rent since before the period of Covid-19 restrictions; if special arrangements have been made to assist landlords in cases in which tenants have made no effort to contribute to rental agreements, have ignored orders to vacate and are in effect squatting; and if he has considered introducing financial supports for landlords in such circumstances”.
There has been increased scrutiny of Mr Troy’s rental properties after it emerged he had failed to register the lease of a flat above the Ballynacargy post office in Co Westmeath with the Residential Tenancies Board. Mr Troy has said he has fixed the issue and paid a late registration fee.
