Taoiseach to get legal advice but backs Damien English to keep TD role
Failed Their Picture: collins When His House Applied Wife Current To To Permission 'local Ownership Co Disclose Meath, Damien English Castlemartin, For A Home In Of File And Build He Needs'
Mr English resigned from his junior ministry at the Department of Enterprise late on Wednesday night after revelations that he had failed to disclose ownership of a house in Castlemartin, Co Meath, when he and his wife applied for a “local needs” planning permission to build their current home.
The publicly-available Meath County Council planning file states that “the applicant does not own a dwelling and has not owned a dwelling previously”.
Mr English said that when he reviewed the application following the revelation by The Ditch website, it was “clear to me that I failed to inform Meath County Council about ownership of my house in Castlemartin”. He said:
However, despite agreeing Mr English’s position was “untenable”, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he did not feel it was necessary for Mr English to step down as a TD.
“I want to be very clear that when it comes to any breach of planning law, or any other law, it’s not the Government that has a decision on it,” Mr Varadkar added.
When asked if Mr English breached any planning laws and whether Meath County Council should open an investigation into the matter, Mr Varadkar said it was not for him to say, and he is not an expert in planning law.
Mr Varadkar said it is a matter for the local authority.
However, the Taoiseach also went on to say that he will seek legal advice on whether the now-former Fine Gael junior minister has breached any planning law.
Mr Varadkar also said Mr English has paid the ultimate price and it was not necessary for him to resign as a TD as well.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has made a complaint to the Standards in Public Office Commission, but said that whether Mr English remains a TD is “a matter for him and the electorate of Meath West”.
Meanwhile, three names have emerged to potentially replace Mr English — Dublin-Rathdown TD Neale Richmond, Clare TD Joe Carey, and Dublin Fingal’s Alan Farrell.
Mr Richmond had previously been perceived to have lost out when junior ministers were appointed last month.