Housing Activists on Robert Troy and Landlord TDs: "Privileged groups in Irish society use property as an investment"

Enterprise Minister Robert Troy, a Fianna Fáil TD, resigned last week amid a drip feed of articles published by The Ditch highlighting his numerous property-related conflicts of interest and "errors".

It all started on August 10, when it was reported that Minister of State for Trade Promotion had failed to include his sale of a property in Mullingar to Westmeath County Council for €230,000 in his declaration to the Standards In Public Office Commission (Sipo).

Troy had never declared the sale of the property in his Dáil returns despite being legally required to do so under the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995. The act requires Dáil members to declare the sale of any goods or services to public bodies if the value exceeded €6,500.

He said he was “wrongly” under the impression that he was only required to declare a property in his possession at the end of December when he submitted the form. As he had sold the property earlier that year he did not think he was obliged to include it.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, who had already written to Sipo asking it to investigate Troy’s omissions, again wrote to the Commission, this time asking it to probe whether his non-declaration of Rent Assistance Scheme contracts with Westmeath County Council constituted a breach of ethics legislation.

Taoiseach this afternoon defending Robert Troy, who he says has “corrected the record” and is a “very effective minister”.

PBP TD Paul Murphy today says Robert Troy’s position is “untenable”.@VirginMediaNews

— Richard Chambers (@newschambers) August 22, 2022

It soon came out that Troy owns 11 properties, nine of which he rents out to the public while requesting for rent and bills to be paid in cash. Troy also used Dáil speaking time to call for more funding for the Rental Accommodation Scheme. The TD has lobbied Government ministers to allow landlords to evict tenants during the pandemic, failed to register properties with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), and even left some tenants living in dangerous conditions. His Dublin 7 co-owned property does not have a fire safety certificate.

On August 24, Troy apologised for what he described as “genuine errors and human errors” that were unintentional. The now former junior minister took aim at “some media”, over an alleged narrative that “landlords are villains”. He said some media “had taken stories verbatim without verification that have been factually incorrect, they have printed inaccurate headlines and misleading articles and failed to make corrections when asked”.

While the Taoiseach and junior ministers like Josepha Madigan originally defended Troy (Michéal Martin also owns more than one property), other TDs and Ministers were less obliging. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said Troy’s “significant errors” have the effect of “undermining confidence in the political system”.

The notion of mingling landlord-ism with personal politics in the Dáil is a topic that has wide-ranging arguments, but is it fair for the public to have elected leaders who often don't understand the needs of regular people attempting to fix such a horrendous housing crisis for over a decade?

The Longford–Westmeath TD is just the tip of the iceberg. First of all, Troy is still a Government TD and is therefore entitled to a sizeable salary and expenses. He still has the right to make important decisions for his constituency while his resignation statement left much introspection to be desired.

On Robert Troy’s statement: There are literally thousands of people across Ireland who have worked there entire lives “for all they have” and will never own a house. That’s the entire problem. pic.twitter.com/qZJKUyTjz8

— aoife moore. (@aoifegracemoore) August 25, 2022

According to The Ditch, Taoiseach Micheál Martin hasn’t declared his share in his west Cork holiday home for 10 years. Is it any wonder that it took an incredible amount of revelations and media coverage before Troy felt compelled to resign, after two weeks?

Just today (August 29), the Sunday World reported that Fine Gael councillor Brian Lawlor received over €60,000 in income and expenses last year but has also been receiving the taxpayer-funded Housing Authority Payment for his two-bedroom south Dublin apartment. The FG politician sits on the South Dublin County Council's strategic housing committee, which advises the council on its housing policy.

Sinn Féin TD Johnny Guirke also failed to declare his ownership of two rental properties and directorship of a construction company while serving as a county councillor, The Ditch discovered.

Politicians in Ireland are already earning a stark amount of money compared to the vast majority country's employees. Most of them received pay rises during the Covid pandemic, while the cost of living crisis, health crisis and rent/housing and homelessness crises loomed large and many had lost their jobs permanently.

The public response to the Troy debacle was one of understandable frustration, but there is also a feeling of helplessness to change the wealth and power imbalance. If our elected representatives harbour no political will to fix the scandal, given that around one in four TDs are landlords themselves and therefore profit from the current predicament, how can be push forward with housing as a human right? Is it a completely pointless exercise to ask landlord leaders for help with housing, rent and homelessness?

These were questions Hot Press posed to housing activists in the past week. Given their hard work, they must have been furious reading the news, but hardly shocked.

"I wasn't completely surprised, as I am aware that a high proportion of TDs and Senators are landlords. But I was surprised that an elected TD would not follow the well known legal obligations in relation to being a landlord, such as registering your rental property with the RTB," Dr Rory Hearne, Assistant Professor Maynooth, author of forthcoming book Gaffs and host of Reboot Republic podcast tells Hot Press.

"I also wasn't surprised to see him advocating for policies that would benefit landlords as this Government has making policies for landlords above the needs of tenants for many years now."

Given the high percentage of property owners in Dáil Eireann, does that tell us anything about the level of privilege our elected representatives possess? Does it take money to allow someone to enter the political sphere, given the costs of running in an election and campaigning?

"The fact that a fifth of TDs are landlords or property owners, and just three per cent of the general population are landlords tells us that there is something about having multiple property ownership and being an elected representative," Dr Hearne asserts. "Is it a coincidence? I don't think so. It is part of the privileged groups in Irish society who use property as an investment, it was seen as a way to make money, and it is also part of generations in their forties and upwards who really benefitted during the Celtic Tiger years. The housing system - land, property, homes - were considered a legitimate place to make money from.

"Also, property transactions and real estate are an area where money can be passed around and avoid tax," the housing expert continues. "There is a long history of links between our big political parties like Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and large developers, and more recently real estate investment funds - the vulture funds. These are very influential, and clearly some politicians and Ministers are benefitting from investments and employment in these areas."

Credit: The Irish Sun.

Examples can be found everywhere. Former Fine Gael Minister Brian Hayes now works for the banking federation; former Minister Tom Parlon is head of the Construction Industry Federation. Former Fianna Fáil party chairman Pat Farrell is currently head of a lobbyist organisation, Institutional Property Ireland, which represents the vulture funds and REITs in Ireland.

"Clearly there is a close relationship between property, landlords, developers and now investor funds and Irish Governments. That is a real conflict of interest," Dr Hearne tells me.

"We just have to look at the policies over the last 20 years in housing and the economy - giving tax breaks to landlords and REIT (Real Estate Investment Trusts) vulture funds, allowing rents to rise year after year, introducing new social housing by paying private landlords through HAP, and stopping building social and affordable housing. These all benefitted the propertied classes and groups and locked out Generation Rent from having a home of their own. Young (and not so young) adults stuck living at home with their parents with their adult lives on hold feel enraged, and rightfully so."

Does Dr Hearne believe that the public have reached the end of their tether, waiting and campaigning for action to be taken on housing by a flailing Government?

"Government is supposed to make policy, and especially in the area of housing, for the people - not just for narrow privileged groups such as the property industry and landlords. BUt that is what is happening. There is a cultural revolution in attitudes to housing amongst the Irish public, especially Generation Rent. They don't want property as an investment, they just want a bloody home. The Government is still representing the property investors and do not understand the struggle. A major change is needed, such as putting the right to housing in the Constitution. That would require whatever Government is in power to deliver an affordable secure home - a human right for all."

📢 Reminder to submit views on a Referendum on Housing in Ireland

📅The Housing Commission public consultation remains open until Friday, 2nd September

🖥️Access the consultation here https://t.co/t7SVBvgkFw pic.twitter.com/ANMC6fS4Xq

— The Housing Commission (@HouCommission) August 29, 2022

Many feel utter despair in this country, an emotion which paralyses action. However, housing activists are using their anger to create community action and grassroots movements towards the cause.

"You can actually make a difference on this. Many people feel powerless but right now the Housing Commission is looking for public input on what a referendum on housing should be. It is really important as many people as possible - particularly Generation Locked Out - send in a submission to the Commission. You can find out more from a coalition I am part of, Home for Good. We can change the housing crisis in this country, it is going to take a social movement like Marriage Equality and Repeal, and we are seeing activism on housing, but this needs to be a new rising."

Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) Ireland have been slowly building up members over the last year or so, and their Westmeath brand picketed the constituency office of Robert Troy on Friday, August 26th. Speaking to Hot Press, their frustrations were palpable.

"Troy has become a prominent example of a TD landlord, with financial interests that conflict with those of his constituents," the organisation said. "Following a series of wrongdoings in managing his properties, he has gone on to belittle both his constituents and the people of Ireland with his statements.

"The register of 'members' interests' for the Dáil and Seanad confirms substantial property portfolios among TDs and Senators with almost 80 confirmed landlords, landowners or both. There is no crisis for landlords, developers or speculators, those few whose interests are being served at the expensive of the many," CATU adds.

"Through schemes such as Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) funds are being funnelled into the pockets of private landlords (including TDs, Senators), stifling development of any alternative, public modalities of housing that would benefit the majority of people. Landlords in the Dáil have openly asked the Housing Minister for support in their actions against tenants, making the housing emergency worse day by day.

In the CATU AGM earlier this year, the union vote showed overwhelming support for the vision of universal public housing. On September 4, CATU will launch the national campaign for more public housing in our communities.

Figures published by the Department of Housing on Friday (August 26) showed the number of people who are officially homeless has reached a record high of 10,568 people. This is an increase of 76 since the June figure of 10,492 and a shocking 30 per cent increase from only a year ago (8,132 in July 2021).

In more positive news, TDs and Senators may be asked to provide more information on the Dáil’s Register of Members’ Interests, according to a planned overhaul of monitoring politicians’ interests.

Members of the Committee on Members’ Interests are aiming to propose reforms on the current policy, suggesting that the Government require politicians in receipt of contracts such as the rental accommodation scheme (RAS) or housing assistance payment (HAP) to declare this.

At the end of the day, a Dáil made up of 30 per cent landlords likely isn't going to make laws in the interest of renters or social housing. It's only through collective action (and potentially a General Election) that we can force our leaders to finally cut rents and enforce health standards.

To join CATU Ireland, visit catuireland.ie. You can also contact threshold.ie for more information on housing assistance and tenant's rights.

🚨 CATU Ireland is holding the launch event for our 2022-23 National Campaigns on Sunday, September 4th and all are welcome! 🚨

The details:

🗓️ Date: September 4th
⏰Time: 12 PM - 3 PM
📌Location: Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square W, Rotunda, Dublin 1, D01 T6V6

🧵(1/7) pic.twitter.com/hWstsk0Gv3

— CATU Ireland (@CatuIreland) August 29, 2022