Taoiseach: 'Disproportionate' to compare Troy to previous sacked ministers 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he believes Mr Troy has been 'transparent' about his mistaken declarations of interest.  Picture: Collins Photos

The Taoiseach has again expressed confidence in junior minister Robert Troy, and said it is “disproportionate” to compare his situation with that of sacked ministers Dara Calleary and Barry Cowen.

Mr Troy has faced a slew of stories over the past fortnight regarding his incomplete declarations of assets.

Mr Cowen lost his job as Minister for Agriculture after just 12 days in July 2020, for refusing to answer questions in the Dáil about a historic drink driving conviction, while Mr Calleary resigned after his attendance that August at the infamous Golfgate dinner in Co Galway, had been revealed.

Micheál Martin said that to suggest different standards are being applied to Mr Troy than to the other Fianna Fáil ministers who lost their jobs is a “disproportionate comment”. 

He said the respective situations “are two separate and different issues completely”.

On Friday the  Irish Examiner revealed that Mr Troy had failed for nine months to register the rental of his former home in Westmeath with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), a legal requirement.

Mr Martin yesterday defended Mr Troy, saying he had been “transparent in relation to this and he has amended his declaration of interest”.

The Taoiseach said Mr Troy has “already dealt with the issue” involving his non-registration of the tenancy in his former home, in that he “paid a late fine in relation to that”, but acknowledged that the RTB “can investigate on their own initiative”.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has officially complained to the RTB about Mr Troy’s unregistered rental, and requested that the board “investigate the failure to register the tenancy”. 

The RTB had not responded to a request for comment about that development at the time of publication.

Mr Troy admitted at the weekend that the tenancy at the Ballynacarrigy Post Office had “not been fully registered” and blamed his “agent in Mullingar” who he said had “apologised and amended the anomaly immediately” and paid the late fee of €90 — €10 for each of the nine months the house had been rented.

Last night Mr Troy acknowledged that the post office rental had been “registered in the month of August” and said there had been “no attempt to conceal” that fact.

He said that the RTB “has assured me all my properties are registered”, although he added that “they were aware of issues in accessing their website due to a change of system”.

Ultimate responsibility 

Mr Troy did not reply to a query as to who he thought had ultimate responsibility for registering that rental. 

Section 134 of the Residential Tenancies Act confirms that the responsibility lies ultimately with the landlord.

“The obligation to register a tenancy belongs to the landlord,” said legal officer with housing charity Threshold, Gavin Elliot.

“While they may employ an agent to perform the administrative tasks related to registration, the obligation is theirs alone," he added.