Nearly one in five TDs are landlords, according to newly published register

The Dáil's register of members' interests, published shows 32 of the 174 TDs declared rental income in the last year

The Dáil's register of members' interests, published on Thursday, shows 32 of the 174 TDs declared rental income in the last year. File Picture

Nearly 20% of the TDs in Leinster House are landlords according to a newly-published register.

The Dáil's register of members' interests, published on Thursday, shows 32 of the 174 TDs declared rental income in the last year, while others have declared shareholdings, investments and directorships.

Of those landlords, Michael Healy Rae lists a range of properties in his portfolio including a service station, storage facility, B&B guesthouses, and two plots of forestry.

The Kerry TD is also the director of four companies and holds shares in the New York Times. 

Robert Troy, who resigned as minister for state for the department of enterprise in 2022 over his failure to accurately declare his interests, has listed seven residential properties as well as one commercial unit and his constituency office.

He includes a note that as of December 31, 2024, he was in the process of buying out his partner on one Dublin property which includes four rented units. Mr Troy also declared shares in Ryanair which are below the threshold but were included "in abundance of caution".

Regional Independent TD Gillian Toole, who was first elected to the Dáil in December, has nine rental properties spread across Dublin and Meath.

Other landlords include first-time Sinn Féin TDs Cathy Bennett and Joanna Byrne, first-time Fine Gael TD Emer Currie and independent TD Carol Nolan. First-time Kerry Fianna Fáil TD Michael Cahill reveals that his wife runs a bed and breakfast in Glenbeigh named Beighwatch, which provides accommodation to the Department of Children.

Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae lists a range of properties in his portfolio including a service station, storage facility, B&B guesthouses, and two plots of forestry. Picture: Justin Farrelly/RollingNews.ie

At Cabinet level, Taoiseach Micheál Martin had just one thing to declare, his Turners Cross office, which he notes was bought with a mortgage from AIB. 

Tánaiste Simon Harris has nothing to declare as does public expenditure minister Jack Chambers, minister for education Helen McEntee and minister for health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. 

Agriculture minister and farmer Martin Heydon and minister for higher education James Lawless are the only landlords among the 15, while finance minister Paschal Donohoe declared shares in Procter & Gamble as well as investments in six funds.

Minister for justice Jim O'Callaghan is the only Cabinet member to have travelled abroad on a paid-for trip, while Minister for children Norma Foley listed family homes in Kerry and Dublin and housing minister James Browne listed his constituency office in Wexford.

Junior minister Seán Canney is a 50% shareholder in four declared properties while Cork's Michael Moynihan is a landlord with one house rented and a one-third share in another.

Nine junior and super junior ministers had nothing to declare, while Hildegarde Naughton included her voluntary participation in a singing trio called Bel Canto and OPW minister Kevin 'Boxer' Moran noted he was provided with a Ford transit van for two weeks by Horizon Autos with an estimated value of €600 and the use of an office for five weeks by an individual with a value of €500.