Galway TDs and senators declare property interests

Galway East TD and former Minister of State Seán Canney owns six residential properties in Galway and Tuam, which are rented out, according to the newly-published Dáil Register of Members’ Interests for 2020.

The Independent TD, who was a director with the JJ Rhatigan construction firm for more than two decades, also owns a share of a retail property for the purposes of renting.

Under the law, each year, all members of the Oireachtas much declare their occupations and any directorships they hold, properties and shares they own and any gifts they receive.

In the filings for Galway TDs, Deputy Canney told the Clerk of the Dáil that he owns a house in the Village, Wellpark in Galway, which is rented out, as well as two houses at The Mall in Tuam and three apartments at St Jarlath’s Place, Bishop Street in Tuam. He is also a partner in The Galway Partnership, along with Sean Rhatigan and Gerry Kelly of JJ Rhatigan & Co, which owns a retail property for the purposes of renting.

His Galway East colleague, Fine Gael’s Ciarán Cannon – also a former Minister of State – is part-owner of holiday home in the small village of Banyuls-dels-Aspres in the Languedoc-Rousillon region of the south of France.

Deputy Cannon is also listed as an executive director of Gate Lodge Properties Ltd in Carrabane, Athenry (which operates the Gate Lodge pub and Village theatre) and the voluntary Carrabane Community Development Company Ltd.

Fellow constituency TD, Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fáil), has not listed any occupation, shares or land on the register.

In Galway West, the Register of Interests, Independent Deputy Noel Grealish declared rental income from a house in Claregalway and an apartment in Dublin.

Minister of State at the Dept of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton (FG), listed her occupation as a teacher at St Pat’s National School in Galway from where she is on a leave of absence. She also sings in a voluntary capacity with the Bel Canto group.

Catherine Connolly (Ind) has declared her family home in the Claddagh in Galway, while Éamon Ó Cuív (FF) and Mairéad Farrell (SF) listed no occupations, shares, directorships or land.

In the Roscommon-Galway constituency, Michael Fitzmaurice from Williamstown has listed his occupation as an agricultural contractor involved in plant hire, turf cutting, farming and civil engineering.

He has one share worth one euro in the Kilcolm Co-op Water Scheme (a voluntary group water scheme where he also serves as chairman) and is Chair of the Turf Cutters and Contractors’ Association voluntary representative group.

The declaration noted that Deputy Fitzmaurice received no payment for the chairmanships and he holds no directorships, only voluntary committee positions.

He owns farm land at Strangeforth, Keelogues and Curragh in Williamstown, and all are rural farmland.

Independent TD Denis Naughten, the former Minister for Communications, declared a one-acre site at Drum in Roscommon which is farmland.

Sinn Féin’s Claire Kerrane listed no occupation, land, shares, directorships or gifts.

The only other TD who declared interests which were in Galway was Johnny Guirke (Sinn Féin, Meath West), who owns a rental property at Cois na hAbhainn in Tuam.

On the Register of Members’ Interests for the Seanad, Sean Kyne (FG) has declared land at Clydagh in Moycullen which is farmed by his uncle and from which there is no income, and a rental property in Athlone which is owned by his wife.

Pauline O’Reilly (Green Party) had declared herself as a board member of NUI Galway and Leisureland in Salthill, as well as the not-for-profit organisation Galway Community Circus.

Aisling Dolan (FG) from Ballinasloe, declared that she was a project manager at NUI Galway before her Seanad nomination.

Senator Ollie Crowe (FF) from Bohermore in the city; Gerard Craughwell (Ind), who is originally from Salthill and Alice-Mary Higgins from the city, have not listed any properties, shares or land.

Senator Rónán Mullen (Human Dignity Alliance), who is originally from Ahascragh, is a lecturer with the Institute of Technology in Blanchardstown – from where he has been on a career break since 2015 – and is also in receipt of rental income.

According to the Register of Interests, he owns farmland in Aughrim and also owns has mortgaged houses at Newtown Court in Maynooth, Co Kildare and Claremont Drive in Glasnevin, Dublin. He is co-owner of a mortgaged house in Roscommon town.