Robert Troy property controversy: How it unfolded

Wednesday, August 10th

The Ditch website begins a series of articles detailing different properties which were owned and sold by Fianna Fáil Minister of State Robert Troy but which were on occasion not included in his declarations on the Dáil register of members’ interests.

Monday, August 15th

Troy says his failure to declare ownership of a house he sold to a local authority, at a price double what he paid for it, happened as he had “misinterpreted the requirements for registering interests”. He says he has contacted both the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) and the clerk of the Dáil to tell them he wants to amend his historical returns.

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Wednesday, August 17th

The Irish Times reports that People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy is seeking an investigation into disclosures of property interests held by Troy. Troy’s dealings in relation to three properties come under increasing scrutiny.

The first property in an estate called Ashfield, in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was purchased by Troy at auction in 2008. He later sold this property to Westmeath County Council in 2018. The property appeared on his register of members’ interests from his election to the Dáil in 2011 until 2017, but he failed to register it in 2018.

[ Taoiseach defends Robert Troy over property dealings ]

[ Minister of State Robert Troy discloses details of substantial property interests ]

He bought a second property, Ash Lawn, from a Fianna Fáil councillor in Longford town, Bill Collentine, in 2019. He paid €82,500 for it in May of that year, before selling it on in August for €163,000. He failed to register the ownership of this property on his register of members’ interests as he did not own it at the end of the year. A third property, at Oak Crest in Mullingar, was included in 2019 but not in 2020 as said he no longer had an interest at the end of that year.

Sipo says Ministers and TDs can sell property to local authorities and other public bodies without having to publicly disclose the transactions.

Thursday, August 18th

Troy makes wide-ranging amendments to the Oireachtas register of members’ interests going back over a decade. He also apologises for errors in his returns. He discloses details of his substantial property interests, some for the first time, including rental accommodation contracts with Westmeath County Council, the sale of the garden of one of his properties, and negotiations for potential sales of properties. It also includes registration for the first time of Troy’s former home, which has been rented out since November 2021. That property was his former registered private dwelling house and is on Main Street, Ballynacargy, Co Westmeath.

In his amendments, he also adjusted entries on the properties in Oak Crest, Ashlawn and Ashfield.

He also provided details of the sale of the garden at one of his registered properties at Rathdown Road in north Dublin, as well as an inter-parliamentary trip to Taiwan in 2013, and his participation in a rent-a-room scheme in 2019 in his home. He also disclosed details in relation to negotiations for potential sales of properties.

Troy also says he fully refutes any “inference or implication of any improper tax conduct on my part. I am fully tax-compliant as a landlord and public representative.”

Friday, August 19th

Troy comes under pressure to reveal the details of rental contracts he has with Westmeath County Council. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy asks Sipo to investigate if Troy’s non-declaration of the RAS (rental accommodation scheme) contracts with Westmeath County Council is a breach of ethics legislation. In a letter to Sipo, Murphy argued: “It seems clear that such contracts would amount to the provision of a service of accommodation to the council and would therefore be covered under the relevant provision in the Ethics in Public Office Act.” Murphy says the Minister of State “failed to declare which properties they relate to, how long these contracts have been in existence for and what income he derives from them”.

Saturday, August 20th

Troy declines to confirm when a rental tenancy at his former primary residence, which began nine months ago, was registered.

Sunday, August 21st

Troy admits to the Sunday Times that the rental property in question was not registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). It is an offence to fail to register a tenancy with the RTB within one month of the tenancy commencing. He says he will pay the late fee.

Monday, August 22nd

The Irish Independent reports that Troy used Dáil speaking time to call for more funding for the State rental scheme which he revealed the previous week he receives an income from. Under RAS, councils pay private landlords directly to accommodate tenants in receipt of rent support for more than 18 months. Later on Monday, opposition parties call for a further statement from Troy, while Taoiseach Michéal Martin continues to give his backing to the Minister of State.