A chara, – What is the point of the Standards in Public Office Commission when politicians who are found to be in breach of the standards can just correct the record (”Ethics law review to examine disclosure obligations for TDs selling property to public bodies – Tánaiste has ‘total confidence’ in Robert Troy amid questions over property interests, News, August 17th)?
Robert Troy was found to be in breach of the standards in relation to two of three properties. Then we have his colleagues commending him for correcting the record.
If there was a fine for anyone found in breach of the standards, or they were suspended for a period of time, it might ensure they were fully aware of the standards required for a public office holder. – Yours, etc,
BARRY ROONEY,
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Ashford,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – At a time when the housing crisis continues to rage, there is something grimly hilarious about a Fianna Fáil Minister apparently neglecting to register the sale of three properties.
Leopards, spots, etc. – Yours, etc,
THOMAS RYAN,
Harolds Cross,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – In 2001, a minister of state at the Department of Agriculture, Ned O’Keeffe, resigned from office following his failure to declare his family’s licence to use meat-and-bone meal on their pig farm before a Dáil vote on a related issue. It was widely acknowledged that this was a foolish error on Mr O’Keeffe’s part and that there was no intention on his part to act improperly.
Micheál Martin was a senior member of that same government.
How is Mr O’Keeffe’s error in any way different to that of Minister of State Robert Troy, who failed to declare interests in three separate properties which he sold in 2018, 2019 and 2020?
You report that Mr Troy “mistakenly thought he did not have an obligation to register the property if he didn’t own it at the end of the year”. However, guidelines issued each year by the Houses of the Oireachtas clearly state that TDs are required to declare property they owned “at any time during the registration period concerned” (ie, in that calendar year).
While one error might be understandable, it is difficult to understand how Mr Troy could have made the same error three times, in three separate years, in relation to three separate properties.
Ethical standards either count for something or they do not, and surely they must be applied equally. We can’t point and laugh at the ethical failures of MPs in Westminster while excusing ethical breaches here.
Mr Troy should follow Mr O’Keeffe’s example and resign. If not, then the Taoiseach should apply the same standards expected by the previous Government of which he was a member and dismiss him from office. – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.