Sinn Féin councillor Kenneth Collins denies fraud claims also made against Cork TD

Councillor Kenneth Collins was named in a statement from Mary Lou McDonald on Saturday as having been questioned as part of a fraud probe by An Garda Síochána. Picture: Larry Cummins

The Sinn Féin councillor who was named by his party leader as having been arrested as part of a fraud probe has, through his solicitor, denied any wrongdoing.

Kenneth Collins was named on Saturday night in a statement from Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, after Cork North Central TD Thomas Gould said earlier that evening that he was arrested on Friday as part of the same probe into an alleged €150,000 business fraud occurring almost a decade ago.

Mr Gould's arrest was by appointment on Friday, and he was released without charge later that evening.

Mr Collins’s solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said that his client was arrested by appointment in January and questioned for a number of hours, before also being released without charge.

The solicitor said he was questioned at Togher Garda Station, in the presence of Mr Buttimer, before his release.

Mr Collins was linked to the investigation on Saturday night in a statement from Ms McDonald. In it, she said that Mr Gould informed the party in February that a complaint had been made against him to gardaí.

Garda inquiries

She said: “We understand that a number of other people have been questioned as part of garda inquiries. This includes party councillor Kenneth Collins, who worked for the company, and was questioned by gardaí in January.

“They both emphatically deny the allegations. It is now for the gardaí to continue their investigation into the complaint.” 

Mr Gould, who has represented the northside of Cork City in the Dáil since 2020, issued a statement to the Irish Examiner via solicitor on Saturday evening. 

His statement came after reports emerged that a member of the Oireachtas had been arrested by appointment on Friday for questioning by gardaí investigating an alleged €150,000 business fraud almost a decade ago.

In his statement, Mr Gould — who spoke publicly recently about how he is undergoing treatment for bowel cancer — said that he is entirely innocent and utterly rejects the complaint that his former employer has made against him. Mr Gould added that he is confident that his position will be vindicated.

A file is expected to be prepared for the DPP in relation to the arrests.

Sinn Féin says Mary Lou McDonald would address the Mr Gould arrest on the floor of the Dáil, but said that it "must not cut across" any garda investigation.

It is understood that there is no internal procedure being undertaken by Sinn Féin while the garda investigation is ongoing, and that Mr Gould will not be removed from his position as the party's junior spokesperson on urban regeneration. 

Sinn Féin said that neither man's participation in the Dáil or council would change.

The party said that Mr Gould had informed it of the allegations in late January, had told party leadership of the date of his questioning two weeks ago, and had informed the party that he would be arrested for questioning on Thursday. 

Sinn Féin added that he had continued on his role as junior spokesperson from the last Dáil and was not appointed to the front bench in late January.

Junior minister Michael Healy Rae had said that Ms McDonald had been "very strong" in terms of demanding Tánaiste Simon Harris answer questions in relation to Senator Martin Conway, and would "presume that in the next couple of weeks, [Ms McDonald] will be forthcoming in whatever knowledge she has about this situation...I'm sure she will have a lot to say on the floor of the Dáil".

In response, a Sinn Féin spokesperson said: "Deputy McDonald is happy to address any relevant issue on the floor of the Dáil. Any comments could not, of course, cut across ongoing inquiries by An Garda Síochána."