Jim Gavin to repay money owed to tenant subject to him 'clarifying two issues'

It comes as the tenant, journalist Niall Donald, spoke publicly  about the controversy for the first time

Former presidential election hopeful Jim Gavin and the Sunday World's Niall Donald. Mr Donald was the tenant at the centre of the scandal that led to Mr Gavin dropping out of the presidential election race. Picture: Conor O'Mearain/Crime World 

Jim Gavin has said he will repay the €3,300 owed to his former tenant, pending two clarifications, as the man at the centre of the rent dispute spoke publicly for the first time.

Mr Gavin dramatically withdrew from the presidential race following claims he owed former tenant Niall Donald more than €3,000 for a rental arrangement that was not properly registered.

Mr Donald — co-host of the Crime World podcast with Nicola Tallant — addressed the controversy on the show on Wednesday.

A statement issued to RTÉ by a legal representative said Mr Gavin will repay Mr Donald, once the former tenant clarifies two issues. It added that contact has been made with Mr Donald, who works for the Sunday World.

“We have reached out to Mr Donald and explained to him that we have been instructed to make the payment of €3,300 to him subject to clarifying two issues — we await hearing back from Mr Donald and once those two issues are clarified, we can then proceed to close out on the matter,” the legal representative said.

“From Mr Gavin’s initial consideration of the podcast, it is clear there are inaccuracies.”

In the podcast, released earlier on Wednesday, Mr Donald said it was a “complicated story in one way, but simple in another," explaining he began renting the apartment with a friend in Smithfield, Dublin, in 2007, paying via a standing order.

Mr Donald had “very little dealings” with Mr Gavin and was unaware of his sporting past. When his friend moved out, his partner moved into the apartment.

“Whatever way the standing orders were changed, I had two standing orders. There was an increase in the rent, and instead of changing my standing order, I just added another one.” 

Mr Donald lived there until 2009, at which point — as reported by the Irish Examiner — the couple were expecting a baby.

He said when he moved out, he cancelled one standing order but failed to cancel the other. He said the money at the centre of the dispute was taken from an account he rarely checked.

Niall Donald said Mr Gavin eventually accepted he owed him the money and he said he was going to transfer it. 'The money just never arrived.'

Once he noticed the money was gone, Mr Donald contacted Mr Gavin "straightaway", with the former Dublin manager saying he would "look into it". However, Mr Donald said Mr Gavin eventually "just stopped answering".

Mr Donald then contacted the Private Residential Tenancies Board (now the Residential Tenancies Board), where he learned Mr Gavin had not registered with it. He later consulted a solicitor, who advised him to send a letter to Mr Gavin, which Mr Donald personally delivered to Mr Gavin’s parents.

That evening, after midnight, he received a phone call from Mr Gavin, who was "really, really irate".

"He was angry that I called to his parents' house, which I can actually understand, so I wouldn't hold that against him," said Mr Donald. 

He said Mr Gavin eventually accepted he owed him the money and promised to transfer it. "The money just never arrived.”

The letter stated he would take proceedings against Mr Gavin, but at the time, he could not afford to do so. He said he has not spoken to Mr Gavin since.

Mr Donald noted he had told people both in his job and personal life about the issue. However, once Mr Gavin was selected as Fianna Fáil’s presidential candidate, one of Mr Donald’s colleagues at the Irish Independent asked him about the story, leading to its publication.

Mr Donald found Mr Gavin’s claims that he could not recall the issue “frustrating”.

"I recalled it and I had a bad feeling about. It frustrated me, that statement. It had been a big deal for me, because it was a difficult time in my life.

"Reading the story [of his financial difficulties] I doubt he had the money to pay me back. But why did no one from Fianna Fáil contact me a few weeks ago and sort it out? Explain it to me or somebody.

"I felt sorry for him. I rang Fianna Fáil on Saturday and said I wasn't happy that he couldn't remember it because it makes it sound like it's not true.

"I was amazed watching the debate. I kind of feel that they threw him out a little."

Mr Donald said he had not heard anything about potentially being paid back, saying the statute of limitations had "long gone" for pursuing it legally.

“It's up to him whether he wants to pay it back or not. It wasn't the outcome I wanted. Does the punishment fit the crime? Probably not.

“I feel sorry for him because it’s going to hang over him — but it did hang over me.

“If I’d been told by him back then that he was in total financial difficulty and he would pay me back when he could, I’d have said no problem.”