Minister 'misinterpreted the requirements' after failure to declare second house in Longford

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119488962#Comment_119488962

Wait he flipped it in 3 months for double what he paid for it? Jesus.

He also let the cat out of the bag by saying that he thought he only had to declare it if he owned it at the end of the given year.

I actually 100% believe he thought that, but it is also the reason he thought he wouldn't get caught.

Now unless he put a fortune into bringing it up to standard, I don't think any other excuse will hold any sort of credibility.

Mr Troy has some explaining to do.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119488791#Comment_119488791

Sure RTE Investigates did a full program on council corruption and lack of accountability. It exposed a huge amount of waste/fraud. Martin waffled about it during question time but of course nothing was actually done. I see less and less RTE Investigate programs now so perhaps they were warned off.

BrianD3

I see Wexford County Council purchased an "extremely damp" house from one of its councillors after being advised not to by one of its engineers.

https://www.rte.ie/news/investigations-unit/2022/0419/1293110-the-councillor-the-council-and-the-house-purchases/

Given the amount of cute hoorism associated with buying and selling property in this country, it would be a shock if there aren't more stories like this and the Troy one.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119488267#Comment_119488267

I'd wager one 'lesson' learned is not to do a 'think of the humanity Sean' shoot yourself in the foot interview. Stay stchum and hope it goes away.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489158#Comment_119489158

I see he's now staying on occasion Cash payments were made re rent but Westmeath Coco transferred rent via Direct transfer into his account 😳

What in the world is going on here

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119488332#Comment_119488332

It's a bit like insider trading on the stock market.

inajock

Anyone that's had any dealings with a county council regarding the sale of houses will feel that the 12 week turn around is even more bizarre.

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489177#Comment_119489177

Thats not what his tenant says and I trust his tenant over him.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489442#Comment_119489442

Indeed, the Hole is getting bigger, it seems any time Troy speaks, more revelations come out, its extraordinary 😳

skimpydoo

Just noticed that there has been issues with Troy trending on Twitter which is a valid social media platform. It is given the general public a chance to have their say on Troy and more. If you discount the fake accounts there is still more than enough to validate it.

For transparency purposes , I have 3 Twitter accounts. One is a personal account I have had for 12 years. My second is a fully verified account with a blue tick that relates to my main job and I have had it 8 years. My third account is 2 and a half years old and is related to an online blog that I have.

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489123#Comment_119489123

You can bet if there was an investigation done on County Councils in this country it would find most of them would be up their necks in dodgy deals. Like our politicians I see councillors as only interested in feathering their nests, some of the decisions that have been made at council level would have most people scratching their heads going why was this done, or why was that done, it makes no sense, the only sense it makes is that someone somewhere is getting looked after and it isn't people of the county.

I am sure politicians and councillors are getting a bit tetchy with this Troy story continuing as it may start shining a light on other shenanigans that these politicians and councillors would prefer to not get an airing.

Dempo1

Just in, Seven, I say again, Seven corrections Troy has submitted 🙄

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2022/0818/1316514-robert-troy-politics/

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489773#Comment_119489773

How can anyone be sure that is all the corrections that need to be made? Should Troy not be subject to an investigation by the Revenue Commissioners now? Jaysus if a normal person did this the Revenue Commissioners would be looking into where every penny went and what was paid and wasn't paid in tax.

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489773#Comment_119489773

It looks like 7 deadly sins to me.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489813#Comment_119489813

We could have a 4th, 5th, 6th & 7th fatima secret released by The Ditch come tomorrow 😂

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489821#Comment_119489821

just in time to make the front pages of the Sunday papers.

Shelga

What on earth did this very short lived company RMT Management do (established December 2019, dissolved July 2021- RIP), and why was his girlfriend a secretary in it?

Reading his list of corrections reads like a typical cute hoor FF TD, with his finger in many pies, aided by his parliamentary standing.

He “didn’t realise what was required of him”- like fcuk he didn’t- he knew it looked terrible so did some creative accounting. He’s only been in the Dail 11.5 years, poor thing- how was he to know.

Absolutely sickened by the whole lot of them- greed, greed and more greed, while crowing about another MNC jobs announcement, while anyone under 45 here lives in despair and can’t move forward with their lives in any meaningful way due to a crippling housing crisis.

I hope this story does not just die a death and that this man faces political consequences. But I won’t hold my breath.

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489850#Comment_119489850

If he was a first time TD you can cut him some slack but as has been a TD for over 11 years no excuses will wash. If you don't know all the rules you have to comply with when being a TD, you shouldn't be there.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489904#Comment_119489904

+ he is the Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489952#Comment_119489952

That makes it much worse. If standards are not being upheld by the minister in charge then his head must roll.

is_that_so

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119488282#Comment_119488282

It's more of a patchwork approach to it IMO. I don't think it's all down to government. A lot of TDs have helped themselves to expenses down the years and they would continue to if not corralled by SIPO and they haven't been in much of a hurry to demand changes. Changes have only tended to emerge when we see an issue like this. Always wary of bodies claiming they know best even if they do here. What extra powers are they looking for?

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489850#Comment_119489850

It's really shocking when you look at the nuts a bolts of one property transaction in Mullingar, I know, very, very well.

Troy being a former Councillor would have known or certainly had an idea of plans to build social housing on a site owned by the council behind the property he purchased . He purchased the property which was seized by cab through a public auction, the auctioneer I also happen to know.

This property was then rented out to the council, now the curious bit. It was known a site behind this property was earmarked for social housing, some experts saying the access to the site needed widening, Troy's one of two properties on both sides of the access, at most €10k each to his and property on the other side would have resolved the issue.

Instead the council purchase the property off Troy at a massive profit for Troy.

A. Why didn't the council bid for the property at time of initial auction 🤔

B. How is it remotely possible a county council could be so inept & spend almost €250k when all that was needed was a litte extra space to access site they owned for social housing 🤔

As Philo Ryan from the Indo (normally a defender of FG in particular) put it earlier, Troy is acting as if he was being charitable 😳

No one begrudges profit or the luck of the Irish but my word this was a pot of gold for Troy.

Zebra3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489013#Comment_119489013

Doesn’t matter of he claims he thought it only needed to be declared if he owned the property at the end of the year.

He decided he wanted to be a TD and with that he takes on all the responsibilities that entails.

Maybe the taxpayer should foot the bill for a secretary and office for him to have assistance with all these matters.

Oh, wait… 🙄

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119490109#Comment_119490109

SIPO seeks more powers to prosecute lobbying breaches (rte.ie)

Ethics watchdog seeks stronger powers to police rules covering public officials – The Irish Times

Sipo calls for powers to run rule over former Oireachtas members – The Irish Times

is_that_so

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119490229#Comment_119490229

The lobbying one should not be open to argument. Not sure about them about being able to target former politicians unless it's in that context but the Dara Murphy nonsense shows things need to tightened up there.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119490271#Comment_119490271

So if you retire/resign/are removed then you go scott free?

And 'target'? Wrong word maybe? If somebody does something that warrants investigation then you shouldn't be using a term like 'target', it reeks of victimhood.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119487752#Comment_119487752

NPPR is long enough ago now it probably doesn't impact these. Its also reaching a point now that its becoming time-barred to claim unpaid amounts, 2009 and 2010 are timed out already.

Should be facile to look in to and screw him if he's not done it on the one (more than one?) he did have that long ago

Dempo1

Even Wikipedia have updated Troy's page, he joins the long list of Irish Politicians with their own dedicated Controversies Section,

Congratulations Minister 😉

Albeit I suspect the page will need updating soon

is_that_so

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119490288#Comment_119490288

It really depends what they are looking at. The D'Arcy lobbying one is a good example of where there might be an investigation, even if he's taking the 12 months out to satisfy the rules, but if it's power for a generalised trawl through the activities of former politicians that really has court cases written all over it and risks turning SIPO into a quasi-legal body. With the current Troy situation there's a good opportunity to overhaul what are considered interests, especially selling properties to public bodies.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119490222#Comment_119490222

Doesn’t matter of he claims he thought it only needed to be declared if he owned the property at the end of the year.

Ah it does, you'd forgive a lad for that and if that was the only issue here this would be a non story. i.e if he just sold a house on the open market and didn't think he needed to declare it.

But it would appear the Bould Troy has all sorts of undisclosed interests which should have been disclosed.

I understand he is unavailable for a week, now unless he is pot holing in Bolivia I image his arsé will be ordered to explain himself before then, as this story has been around a week already and is furiously growing legs.