Walsh tops local Dáil register of interests

Outgoing Galway West TD Brian Walsh will be retiring from politics to an extensive property portfolio which includes apartments, retail and industrial premises, according to the latest Dáil Register of Interests.

Mr Walsh – who announced his resignation as a TD on health grounds last January – has listed his occupation as being income derived from rental properties.

The Register – published last week – lists occupations; share ownership; directorships; land ownership (including property); gifts; property supplied or lent or services supplied; travel facilities; remunerated positions and contracts.

Mr Walsh owns a house in Mervue, as well as apartments in Wellpark, the Docks, in Sligo, and one at Foley Street in Dublin. He also owns a retail unit and two apartments at Briarhill Shopping Centre in Galway and a 5% share in an adjacent site.

He has a 10% share in industrial premises at Parkmore and Mervue Industrial Estates and a one-quarter share of a commercial property in Briarhill Business Park. He also owns a quarter-acre site in Merlin Park and a half-acre site in Roscam which is intended for family use. There is planning permission for one house on each site.

Mr Walsh is listed as a director, in a voluntary capacity, as a non-executive director of Mervue Community Childcare Group Ltd and Mervue Creche Ltd, both non-profit childcare groups. He is also a voluntary director of Galway Premier Car Sales Ltd, with an address at the Tuam Road Retail Centre. Mr Walsh is also a director of BTW Mortgages and Investments Ltd., which is dissolved.

His former party colleague, Ciarán Cannon, is the only Galway TD who owns a holiday home. The property is in the small village of Banyuls-dels-Aspres in the Languedoc-Rousillon region in the south of France, which is close to the border with Spain.

He is an executive director of Gate Lodge Properties Ltd in Carrabane Athenry (which operates the Gate Lodge pub) and is listed as an executive director of the Carrabane Community Development Company Ltd.

Independent Deputy Noel Grealish has declared a house in Cregmore, Claregalway and an apartment in Dublin, which are rented, as well as 15 acres of farmland in Carnmore. He also owns an unoccupied 8,800 square foot unit in Briarhill Business Park. He also owns 100% of GCC Galway Glass Centre Ltd, which has been in liquidation since 2012.

Seán Kyne (FG) has declared his wife’s home in Athlone which is currently rented out, while his father’s company in Moycullen has contracts to supply sand and gravel to the City and County Councils, Inland Fisheries, NUI Galway and Údaras na Gaeltachta.

Fine Gael’s John O’Mahony – who failed to win a seat in Galway West – owns an apartment on the Sean Mulvoy Road in the city for rent or family use. He also owns a non-habitable house and two hectares at Magheraboy, Mayo which is not used; a two-bed bungalow in Ballaghaderreen and a quarter-share of a shop in Claremorris which is rented.

He receives an income as a landlord, a Department of Education pension and from writing newspaper columns.

Paul Connaughton Jnr (FG) – who lost his seat in Galway East – declared farmland in Mountbellew.

Retiring Galway East Fianna Fáil TD Micheál Kitt declared 630 shares in Irish Life & Permanent and 131 shares in Vodafone. He is a retired teacher, but was not in receipt of a teacher’s pension when the Register was compiled. Michael Fitzmaurice, the Independent TD in the new Roscommon-Galway constituency, has listed his occupation as agricultural contractor, plant hire, turf contracting and farming.

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

“Although we set out our stall to Government, this is a voluntary representative group. The position is not paid nor expenses. There is no financial reward, in fact it costs me money,” Deputy Fitzmaurice noted in his filings.

He owns farm land at Strangeforth, Keelogues and Curragh in Williamstown.

Deputy Fitzmaurice also noted that he borrowed water pumps, a dumper and a digger to help save houses from flooding in his constituency.

His Independent colleague in the new constituency, Denis Naughten, has declared his constituency office on Abbey Street, Roscommon, as well as a one-acre site at Drum in Roscommon.

TDs from outside the Galway constituencies with interests here include Eamon Gilmore, who is joint owner of 37 acres and his former family home in Caltra; Sean Kenny (Dublin North-East), who owns a rented property at Willow park in Ballinasloe and Michelle Mulherin (Mayo) who owns a rented apartment at Cúirt Seoige in Bohermore in the city.