Galway aviation investor tops local Seanad register of interests

Spiddal-based Pádraig Ó Céidigh tops the list of Galway senators’ business interests, with a portfolio of shares and directorships in aviation and transport companies and nursing homes.

According to the newly-published Seanad Register of Interests for 2017, the Independent senator lists his occupation as ‘aviation’, with Galway Aviation Services.

He also declared shares in Galway Aviation Services (air passenger and freight services); Forbairt Atlantis (air freight transport); Cornaron Teo (investment); Calket (investment), Compoird Teo (nursing homes), Ronnach Teo (nursing homes), Bainistíocht Aerfort (airport management), Aerfort Chonamara Teo (airport management); Fuinseog (investment) Cúram Baile Casla Teo (homecare); Kallias UL (investment) and Fáinleog Teo (nursing homes).

Mr Ó Céidigh is also an executive director of Galway Aviation Services, Bainistíocht Aerfort and Forbairt Atlantis Teo, as well as a non-executive director of the other companies listed above, as well as of Croke Park Teo, which manages the Croke Park GAA facilities.

He also declared a PSO (Public Service Obligation) contract to the Aran Islands and an airport management contract with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; a contract with An Post for postal transport, nursing homes contracts with the HSE and a homecare contract with the HSE.

Chicago-based independent senator Billy Lawless lists his occupation as a restaurateur, owning three premises in Chicago – Gage, Acanto and Dearborn.

He has also declared holiday homes on the Old Bog Road in Menlo in Galway and a condominium in the Hilton Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mr Lawless also owns two premises on Michigan Avenue in Chicago from where his Acanto and Gage restaurants trade.

As a retirement fund, he has also invested in Capital Bank & Trust American Balanced Fund; Capital World Growth and Income Fund and A New Perspective Fund, all in the US.

He listed a series of directorships, including 25 S Michigan; Henri and Dangan (the companies which operate the restaurants) and Lawless Consulting Inc.

Mr Lawless is also a board member of the Illinois Restaurant Association and a member of the Hibernian Charity Board of Trustees and is co-chair of the Chicago-Galway Sister City Committee. He is not paid for any of these positions.

Senator Rónán Mullen is a lecturer with the Institute of Technology in Blanchardstown – and on a career break since 2015 and is also in receipt of rental income.

Senator Mullen owns farmland in Aughrim (no income) and also has mortgaged houses at Newtown Court in Maynooth, Co Kildare; Claremont Drive in Glasnevin, Dublin and is part-owner of a house in Roscommon town.

He is also the Chair of ‘Catholic Comment’, a registered charity in Maynooth for which he receives no payment.

Senator Gerard Craughwell has declared his occupation as a full-time member of the Seanad, and as a member of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh – who resigned as senator last month – declared rental income from a chalet adjacent to his home in Carraroe and he owns an unoccupied house on a small holding at An Áird Mhóir, Cill Chairáin. He explained this is his father’s house which was left to him in his will.

He serves as a voluntary director at the not-for profit community childcare company Cúram Leanaí na Ceathrú Rua.

Meanwhile, other senators from outside Galway with interests here include Paul Coghlan from Kerry, who owns a student apartment at the Glasán complex near GMIT; Michelle Mulherin from Mayo owns an apartment at Cúirt Seoige in Bohermore, Galway, while John O’Mahony owns a two-bed apartment on Sean Mulvoy Road in the city.