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The Journal
5 days ago
- Business
- The Journal
Former Meath councillor says rezoning allegations ‘tortured' him and ended his career
A FORMER CHAIRPERSON of Meath County Council has claimed he has been 'tortured' for six years and lost his livelihood over allegations about the rezoning of lands in Navan, Co Meath, in which two of his sons have an interest. Former Fianna Fáil councillor Tommy Reilly told an inquiry held by the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) that he had been lambasted by 'a certain group of political people' on Facebook, which had devastated him and his standing in his community. Reilly, who had been a councillor since 1996, lost his seat in the Navan electoral area in last year's local elections, when he was the outgoing chairperson of Meath County Council. He told the SIPO hearing that last year was the first time in 63 years that he was asked not to canvas during elections because his name had been 'dragged through the mud.' The inquiry heard that a 35-acre site at Liscarton on the outskirts of Navan, which is owned by Reilly's son, Ciaran, had a purchase price of €500,000 in August 2016. However, the same site had an asking price of €4.2 million when it was placed on the market after being rezoned the following year (although the land was not sold). Two of Reilly's sons, Ciarán and Tomás, are directors of Royal Active Business Solutions – the company which owns the lands. Reilly is facing four allegations of breaching legislation governing the conduct of elected representatives. One of the allegations Reilly faces is that he failed to declare a conflict of interest at a number of council meetings between July 2016 and May 2017, over the fact that one or more of his sons had an interest in lands that were under consideration for being rezoned, contrary to the Local Government Act 2001. The former councillor was also accused of failing to disclose the nature of the interest of family members in the Liscarton site at a special planning meeting of the council on 19 July 2017, although he did withdraw from the meeting on the basis that he had a conflict of interest. He is also accused of failing to maintain proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest, and acting in a manner inconsistent with the proper performance and duties of a councillor. Reilly gave evidence that he first learned about his son Ciaran's interest in the lands at Liscarton while in his bedroom in early July 2017. He said his son had asked him how he would go about making a submission on a development, but he replied that he could have nothing to do with it. 'I took no action,' he added. The inquiry heard the witness attended a special planning meeting of Meath County Council about two weeks later on 19 July 2017, which he left after declaring he had a conflict of interest. Reilly told his counsel, Dáithí MacCárthaigh BL, that he should have explained his conflict of interest, but said that in 30 years in politics, he had heard people excusing themselves from meetings without ever being asked why. Reilly said that he had never been asked by anyone to elaborate on his own declared conflict of interest. Advertisement He stressed that he himself had no interest in the lands. Reilly said his son had many business interests, of which he knew very little or nothing about. He believed that once he had declared a conflict of interest, he had fulfilled his obligations and did not believe at the time that he had to update his ethics register. 'I find it all very confusing,' he told the hearing. Swearing by his six grandchildren, he stressed that he never mentioned the lands in Liscarton to anybody. Reilly's cross-examination by counsel for SIPO, Mark Curran BL was dominated by tetchy exchanges – including when he was asked how he would know about any potential conflict of interest if he did not know about his son's business. Reilly said he was familiar with his obligations to make declarations about his interests but did not know about 'connected persons.' 'My son was involved. I knew that much. Was that not enough,' he replied. He added: 'As far as I was concerned, I was 100% right in what I did and it ends there,' he retorted. Reilly said he was asked by his son to attend what he termed an 'explanatory planning meeting' in March 2018, and did not believe there was anything appropriate in him doing so. He said he disagreed with the view of the former chief executive of Meath County Council, Jackie Maguire, that it had been unwise for him to have attended the meeting. Reilly told the hearing that he 'wasn't too happy' when he discovered his own name was listed on a planning application in relation to the Liscarton lands, and 'attacked' his son over it. In other evidence, Ciaran Reilly confirmed he first became interested in purchasing the lands at Liscarton as an investment opportunity in mid-2016. He denied that he was not originally listed as a director in the company that purchased the land in order to keep his family name hidden. His brother, Tomás Reilly, said he was asked to become a director of the company by his brother but did not talk to his brother about business. Tomás Reilly said his brother did not talk to him about the purchase of the lands at Liscarton or why he was asked to be a director. He said he had 'no understanding' why the company records showed it owed him €15,368 since 2018, and had never discussed why he was owed the amount with his brother. He confirmed he was still a director of the firm, but has no shareholding in it. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the chairperson of the six-person Commission, Justice Garrett Sheehan, said it would announce its findings at a later date. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Ex-Meath Council chair Tommy Reilly in SIPO probe after rezoned lands linked to son rose in value from €500,000 to €4.2m
Former Fianna Fáil councillor, Tommy Reilly, appeared before an inquiry held by the ethics in public office watchdog to face four allegations that he breached legislation governing the conduct of elected representatives. The allegations were announced at the opening of the inquiry by the Standards in Public Office Commission on Friday. They relate to claims that Mr Reilly failed to declare a conflict of interest at a number of council meetings between July 2016 and May 2017 over the fact that one or more of his sons had an interest in lands that were under consideration for being rezoned. Counsel for SIPO, Mark Curran BL, said the councillor's failure to declare the nature of his sons' interest in lands at Liscarton, Co Navan and his failure to withdraw from such meetings constituted breaches of the Local Government Act 2001. Mr Reilly, who lost his seat in the Navan electoral area in last year's local elections when he was the outgoing chairperson of Meath County Council, was also accused of failing to disclose the nature of the interest of family members in the Liscarton site at a special planning meeting of the council on July 19, 2017, although he did withdraw from the meeting on the basis that he had a conflict of interest. The former councillor was also accused of contravening the Local Government Act 2001 by failing to maintain proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest in his function as a member of Meath County councillor in his dealings on the Liscarton lands. A fourth allegation related to a 'specified act' by claims he acted in a manner inconsistent with the proper performance and duties of a councillor or with the maintenance of public confidence in his performance. Three other allegations were withdrawn by SIPO at the start of the inquiry on foot of an application by counsel for Mr Reilly, Dáithí MacCárthaigh BL. The inquiry heard Mr Reilly claims he only became aware that his son, Ciaran, had an interest in the Liscarton site around two weeks before the special planning meeting on July 19, 2017. However, Mr Curran told the hearing that it was clear that Ciaran Reilly had some involvement in July 2016 with the company that bought the lands, Royal Active Business Solutions. An earlier inquiry by Meath County Council found that the councillor had inadvertently broken ethics rules for not updating his register of interests. The rezoning of a 35-acre site at Liscarton resulted in its value increasing from the purchase price of €500,000 in August 2016 to €4.2m after it was rezoned the following year. Another son, Tomás Reilly, also subsequently became a shareholder in the company which purchased the lands. The SIPO inquiry arose out of a complaint filed by the then chief executive of Meath County Council, Jackie Maguire, in March 2022. Ms Maguire told the hearing that councillors would be reminded at the start of meetings of their obligation to disclose any potential conflict of interest. When asked about the matter, she said Mr Reilly stated explicitly to her that he had no interest in the Liscarton lands. Ms Maguire said the councillor told her that he was unsure when and where he should have declared his knowledge about a 'connected person' with the site. A record of their meeting shows Mr Reilly denied contacting any other councillor about the lands or trying to influence them. The inquiry heard that council records showed Mr Reilly attended a council meeting in December 2014 at which he requested an update about the Liscarton lands. However, Mr MacCárthaigh interjected to state that it was actually a reference to a different site in the area. A consultant engineer, Eamon Collins, admitted to the inquiry that he had made a mistake in listing Tommy Reilly as the applicant for planning permission for the Liscarton lands after they had attended a pre-planning meeting of the council in March 2018. Mr Collins explained that his client was Ciaran Reilly. The hearing was adjourned and will resume on Monday when it is expected to conclude.
Irish Independent
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Former Meath councillor Tommy Reilly faces two-day SIPO hearing
The rescheduled investigation will examine 'alleged contraventions of the Local Government Act 2001 and the Code of Conduct for Councillors by Mr Tommy Reilly, former Councillor of Meath County Council," according to a statement from SIPO. SIPO, established in 2001, is an independent and non-partisan body tasked with ensuring compliance with several key pieces of legislation, including the Ethics in Public Office Acts, the Electoral Act 1997, the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act 2014, and the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015. The upcoming hearing follows a previous ethics investigation by Meath County Council into Cllr Reilly's involvement in the rezoning of a 35-acre site in Liscarton, on the outskirts of Navan. The land, owned by his son, saw its value rise from €500,000 to €4.2m after it was rezoned in 2017. Cllr Reilly had declared a conflict of interest at the time and did not participate in the council vote on the rezoning in July 2017. The rezoning and surrounding events were later highlighted in a detailed report by journalist Frank Connolly for The Village magazine. Following that, Jackie Maguire, the chief executive of Meath County Council at the time carried out a review of Cllr Reilly's role. The hearing will take place today and om Monday, June 16.
RTÉ News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Ex-Fianna Fáil councillor SIPO hearing begins today
Former Meath County Councillor Tommy Reilly is to face a two-day Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) investigation hearing that will get under way this morning. The public ethics watchdog has said the rescheduled investigation hearing into "contraventions of the Local Government Act 2001 and the Code of Conduct for Councillors by Mr Tommy Reilly, former Councillor of Meath County Council" will take place today and on Monday. Asked about the nature of the investigation hearing, a spokesperson for SIPO said: "The background for this investigation hearing will be made clear at the outset of the hearing." Mr Reilly lost his seat on Meath County Council in the local elections in June of last year. Mr Reilly, who was the outgoing cathaoirleach of the council at the time, had held a seat in the Navan Local Electoral Area for Fianna Fáil for 27 years. Meath County Council previously carried out an internal investigation into a potential breach of ethical rules by the then councillor. The investigation related to a plot of land on the outskirts of Navan that increased eightfold in value after being rezoned. The investigation was launched after the local authority became aware of Mr Reilly's connection to the 35-acre site at Liscarton as it was owned by his son. The site was bought for €500,000 in 2016, rezoned by the council the following year and then went on the market for €4.2 million. The investigation by the council found that while Mr Reilly had excused himself from the vote which reclassified the land, he "inadvertently" broke ethical rules by not "updating his register of interests". However, the then Fianna Fáil councillor believed he acted in good faith and that he had met his statutory and ethical obligations by disclosing a conflict of interest and absenting himself from consideration of the particular matter at a council meeting in July 2017. A report on the matter was completed by Meath County Council in October 2020 and included a review of the council's processes, the rezoning of the land and the resulting planning application, as well as an interview with Mr Reilly. The council found that, according to the information available, no disciplinary action was warranted. The investigation hearing by SIPO due to begin today has been rescheduled on two previous occasions. Last November, the public ethics watchdog said that the hearing had been adjourned "due to issues with the availability of Commissioners." Members of the media and the public wishing to attend the hearing today and on Monday can only do so virtually online. A spokesperson for SIPO said the reason for this was in order to be "fair and accommodate all interested parties." "This way, we can ensure all interested persons can view the proceedings equally, due to limited availability to accommodate in person attendance," the spokesperson said.
Irish Examiner
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Government 'going backwards' as 42 bodies not covered by ethics legislation
The Government has been accused of "going backwards" after it was revealed that 42 public bodies are not covered by ethics legislation more than two years after a review into the issue. An update of the ethics in public office legislation was promised in the programme for government in 2020 but while a review was completed in December 2022, a bill has not been brought forward. Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan said the Government has no interest in undertaking reforms to strengthen legislation and has instead been giving it the "run-around" for years. In 2023, the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) identified 42 public bodies that are outside of its remit, as regulations have not been updated since 2018. "Why on earth would you want some public bodies to be covered by ethics legislation and then have 42 other ones not to be? It just does not make sense," said Mr O'Callaghan. "It is setting themselves up for trouble and will cause hassle down the road. Something is going to go wrong; there is going to be a scandal in one of those 42 bodies and the Opposition are going to be on the record hammering them on why they aren't doing this. Mr O'Callaghan noted that then-minister for public expenditure Paschal Donohoe told the Dáil last year that "we are nearly done in respect of the drafting of the heads of the Bill and I hope to be in a position to bring that to Government shortly". He said the Government appears to be going backwards as the current minister, Jack Chambers, is now saying there is more work to be done and more consideration to be given. "The review by his department was concluded more than two years ago. Some of these issues have been going on for years," said Mr O'Callaghan. "How can the minister stand over that? Will he not deal with this urgently? And how is it that he is way behind where his colleague, Deputy Donohoe, was a year ago?" Jack Chambers said it is not possible at this stage to provide a specific date for publication of the scheme. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Mr Chambers said he is committed to bringing forward a general scheme but it is a complex area and there are broader operational and policy considerations to explore. "My ultimate goal is to create a fit-for-purpose and easy-to-understand ethical framework that contributes to the quality, efficacy, and transparency of our system and positively builds on the strength of our existing framework," said Mr Chambers. He said that the respective policy considerations and decision points need to be made but it is not possible at this stage to provide a specific date for when the scheme might be published. However, Mr O'Callaghan said the legislation is clearly not a priority for the Government. "Every single year, it feels like at a ministerial level and also at a department level, they are not bothered about it. It just is not a priority for them at all." Mr Chambers is the third minister for public expenditure involved since the review was first announced by Michael McGrath in 2021. At the time, Mr McGrath said he intended to bring forward proposals for legislative reform in 2022. Read More Motorcyclist dies weeks after crash that killed Garda Kevin Flatley
