Minister ‘still has questions to answer’ over interests errors, says senator

A Fianna Fail senator has said his party colleague Robert Troy still has “some questions” he will have to answer over the errors he made in declaring his interests.

Timmy Dooley said he “accepted” the junior minister’s word that it was an error but added that it would be “helpful” if Mr Troy clarified details about the matter.

The Minister of State with Responsibility for Trade Promotion has been forced to correct the Dail’s register of declarations of interest after he failed to include several properties.

Opposition TDs have called on the Longford-Westmeath TD to make a statement when the Dail returns next month.

Mr Dooley told RTE Radio 1’s Today With Claire Byrne programme: “He’s made some errors and corrected those as I understand it and provided that information to the clerk of the Dail and to Sipo (Standards in Public Office Commission).

“He’s made a number of public statements but there are still some questions that have arisen.

“I know Robert (Troy) a long time and I know he’ll want to clarify this. And I expect he’ll answer those questions and clarify the situation long before the Dail comes back.”

In the latest error, Mr Troy admitted to the Sunday Times that one of his rental properties was not registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).

It is an offence to fail to register a tenancy with the RTB within one month of the tenancy commencing.

Asked what he thought the questions were in relation to the RTB and why at least one property was not registered, Mr Dooley replied: “That’s something he’ll have to answer and to explain. And I’m sure he’ll be in a position to do that.”

The senator also said he thought it would be “helpful from his own perspective” for Mr Troy to clarify the details.

“There was no gain for him not to put it in, there was no gain for him to leave it out so I accept his word that that was an error,” he added.

Last week, Mr Troy issued a statement outlining all the amendments he had had to make to the Oireachtas register of declarations of interest.

He also submitted an amended return to Sipo.

The Fianna Fail TD “apologised unreservedly” for the series of “errors and omissions” he made in his declarations, adding that he was now “satisfied that my amended returns accurately reflect all my interests for public record”.

He made a total of seven entries in the amended document.

Website The Ditch first reported that Mr Troy owned a number of properties which on occasion were not recorded in his declarations on the Dail register of members’ interests.