Troy still has questions to answer over 'careless disregard' of mechanisms, says Bacik

Vivienne Clarke

Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik has said Minister of State Robert Troy still has questions to answer in relation to his property interests and the errors he made in declaring his property interests.

Mr Troy had shown a “careless disregard” for the mechanisms in place for TDs and Senators and must clarify matters still outstanding, she told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.

When intervening in a debate, a TD must disclose if there is a conflict of interest, she said, as there had been for Mr Troy when he spoke in the Dáil about the Rental Assistance Scheme (RAS) of which he was a beneficiary for two of his rental properties.

There appeared to be “a catalogue of omissions” on his part, Ms Bacik said, adding she wanted to know how much of this was “careless”, particularly in relation to the property he bought and sold in one year and did not disclose.

Ms Bacik also wanted more information on the properties' fire certification and his failure to register a property with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).

At a time when there were concerns about An Bord Pleanála and a housing crisis, the controversy surrounding Mr Troy was a distraction for the Government, she said.

If he did not provide clarification by the end of the week, then Mr Troy would not have the support of his Government colleagues, she predicted.

Ms Bacik added there was a broader issue than Mr Troy’s “laxity” and not being “duly diligent”, adding that if he had been careless then it called into question his competency.

When asked about the number of TDs and Senators who are landlords, Ms Bacik said the matter should not be an issue as they are entitled to do that, but added the difficulty arose when any of them failed to comply with the mechanisms in place to ensure high standards in public office.