Taoiseach and Housing Minister unaware that McDonagh advertised Cabra home as short-term let
THE TAOISEACH AND Housing Minister James Browne have both said that no one in government was aware that Brendan McDonagh advertised a property he jointly owns on a short-term letting website for more than €10,000 a week.
McDonagh, who is currently the CEO of Nama, was mooted to become the government's new housing tsar. However, he withdrew his name from consideration last week following controversy over his proposed appointment and €430,000 salary.
The Ditch reported last week
a four-bedroom Cabra home jointly owned by McDonagh was available in May and June but not in July, and that it could be booked for a week from this Wednesday for €10,226.
The 4-bedroom red-brick property was sold for almost €600,000 in 2015 and has been extended twice since then, including the construction of an open-plan kitchen and a new first-floor bedroom with two ensuite bathrooms.
The investigative website also inquired about reserving the property for 150 nights from August to December on the website Vrbo, and reported that it was quoted a price of €210,000 but was advised to contact the host to confirm the booking.
The Journal
asked Taoiseach Micheál Martin about the article today and whether anyone in government was made aware of the issue when McDonagh's name was being considered for the housing tsar role.
However, Martin said today he was 'not aware at all' of the matter.
'Nobody was aware of that,' he told reporters.
'Why would I have been aware of that if, indeed, that is the case? I don't know the circumstances. I don't know the background behind that report. I know nothing at all about Mr McDonagh's, you know, life, other than that he worked with Nama.'
Martin said McDonagh had come with a good reputation from his administration of Nama.
When pressed on whether anyone in government knew that McDonagh had advertised to rent out the property for that amount of money per week, Martin replied: 'No.'
The Journal
asked whether Housing Minister James Browne – who said last week that McDonagh was his preferred candidate for the housing tsar role – was aware of the short-term let advertisement on McDonagh's property.
A question was also posed as to whether the matter was discussed with the housing minister last week when the two men spoke about the housing tsar role.
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In response, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing said the matter 'was never discussed with Minister Browne'.
They also said that under Section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, the minister is not in a position to exercise any power or control over any cases that concern a planning authority (such as Dublin City Council) or An Bord Pleanála.
'For this reason, it is not possible to comment on the individual case referenced in the query,' the statement concluded.
No planning application
McDonagh told Browne last week that he no longer wished to be considered for the role of CEO of the Housing Activation Office, a position informally dubbed as the housing 'tsar'.
Work to bring the new office on stream and to staff it are continuing.
McDonagh's withdrawal followed controversy over the revelations reported by The Ditch website and previous reports that he would retain his €430,000 Nama salary if he was appointed to the new role.
Planning permission is required for short-lets if the property is rented for more than 90 days in a year. McDonagh does not appear to have applied for any planning changes as there is no suggestion that McDonagh or the person with whom he owns the property has intended to surpass the cap.
The Journal
examined Dublin City Council planning files relating to the address of the property that is jointly owned by McDonagh in Cabra, but found no planning application for permission to rent the property as a short-term let.
If a person's principal home is in a rent pressure zone (RPZ), they must have planning permission if they plan to rent it out for short-term letting for more than 90 days.
The letting out of a second property as a short-term let in an RPZ also requires planning permission.
In response to questions from
The Journal
on the matter, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe also said he was not aware of the details of McDonagh's short-term rental ad.
'I'm not in a position to comment on it. But Mr McDonagh isn't being considered for that [housing tsar] role; he withdrew his name from consideration last week.'
When pressed of whether the government were aware of the short-term letting issue before he withdrew his name from consideration, Donohoe said:
'I'm not aware of the details of it but Mr McDonagh made his own decision to withdraw'.
The Journal
has contacted Brendan McDonagh for comment.
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