Irish Examiner view: Public has been misled for 15 years

Damien English resignation

Damien English resigned as junior minister after it emerged he had not declared that he owned a property when applying for planning permission for a one-off house. Picture: Collins Photos

Damien English, minister of state at the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment resigned on Wednesday evening followingrevelations about a planning permission he applied for back in 2008.

The facts are relatively straightforward: Mr English did not inform Meath County Council he had owned a house in the county since 2004 when applying to build a bungalow in 2008. If he had declared his ownership of the first house, he would not have received planning permission for the second.