THREE MEMBERS OF the Dáil have declared for the first time that they received an income of more than €2,600 because they rented out property or land last year.

The latest edition of the Dáil register of interests, published last week, contains an updated list of TDs who are legally obliged to declare their income from land or property.

Under ethics legislation, all TDs and Senators are required to declare any land or properties they own – aside from their family home – as well as any source of income over €2,600 that is derived from a source other than their political office.

The information is published annually on the Dáil and Seanad registers of interest, though representatives can make retroactive additions for specific years at any time if they discover that they did not complete the annual return for a given year accurately.

According to last year’s annual return, 31 TDs derived an income from being a landlord last year, in comparison to 28 in 2022 (before additional interests were declared for that year).

They included 12 Fianna Fáil TDs (exactly a third of the party’s TDs), nine Fine Gael TDs (27% of its Dáil representatives), six Independent TDs (30% of all unaffiliated TDs), two Sinn Féin TDs (8% of the party’s total), one Labour TD (13% its deputies), and one Green Party TD (8% of its deputies).

The new entrants were Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen and Aindrias Moynihan, as well as Fine Gael’s Josepha Madigan (who rents a property in Dublin city centre).

Barry Cowen listed himself as the landlord of both a rental property on River Street in Clara, Co Offaly and of 32 acres of land at the nearby townland of Lahinch.

Aindrias Moynihan declared himself as part-letting a house in Bishopstown, Co Cork that is also part-occupied by his family.

Josepha Madigan, the Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, declared ownership of an apartment which she rents on Jervis Place near Abbey Street in Dublin city centre – though she did not declare her occupation as a landlord, suggesting that she did not derive an income of more than €2,600 from it.

The 28 other TDs listed as landlords for 2023 were: Richard Bruton (FG); Colm Burke (FG); Thomas Byrne (FF); Sean Canney (Ind); Michael Creed (FG); Pa Daly (SF); Stephen Donnelly (FF); Alan Dillon (FG); Frank Feighan (FG); Norma Foley (FF) Noel Grealish (Ind); Johnny Guirke (SF); Seán Haughey (FF); Michael Healy-Rae (Ind); Paul Kehoe (FG); Alan Kelly (Lab); James Lawless (FF); Brian Leddin (Green); Charlie McConalogue (FF); Michael McNamara (Ind); Michael Moynihan (FF); Carol Nolan (Ind); Seán Ó Fearghaíl (FF); John Paul Phelan (FG); Matt Shanahan (Ind); Brendan Smith (FF); Robert Troy (FF) and Leo Varadkar (FG).

Former Environment Minister Richard Bruton listed ownership of farmland at two separate locations (one of which included a house) near Dunboyne Co Meath for 2023, under the ‘occupation’ heading.

His Fine Gael party colleague Colm Burke, a qualified solicitor, declared rental income from his practice’s office on Washington Street in Cork, which he lets to the Cork City Sherriff.

Fianna Fáil’s Thomas Byrne, junior minister for Sport and Physical Education, declared a rental income from a property in Rossnowlagh in Donegal.

Independent TD Seán Canney listed six properties in which he had a 50% stake that he was letting out in Galway: one with an address in Wellpark, and the remainder with addresses in Tuam.

Fine Gael’s Michael Creed declared that he rented out five properties last year in his hometown of Macroom, Co Cork, comprising three apartments, two other residential units and a commercial unit. 

Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly listed himself as the landlord of a property in Tralee, Co Kerry and also declared that he rented out a room in his private home last year.

Health Minister and Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly stated that he was letting an apartment in Sandyford in south Dublin, but did not declare his occupation as a landlord, suggesting that – like Madigan – he did not derive an income worth more than €2,600 from it.

Fine Gael’s Alan Dillon described himself as the “lessor” of a property in Castlebar, Co Mayo.

His party colleague Frank Feighan declared that he was the landlord of McDonagh’s newsagents in Boyle, Co Roscommon.

Education Minister and Fianna Fáil TD Norma Foley stated that she rented an apartment at Highfield Court in Rathgar in Dublin for part of the year in 2023, but like Stephen Donnelly and Josepha Madigan did not declare ‘landlord’ as her occupation.

Independent TD Noel Grealish stated that he let out a property in Claregalway, Co Galway last year.

Sinn Féin’s Johnny Guirke described himself as the landlord of a property in Oldcastle in Co Meath in 2023, and also said he owned a “rental letting” in Tuam, Co Galway.

Fianna Fáil TD Seán Haughey declared a rental income from apartments in Kinsealy and Portmarnock in north County Dublin, which he let out in November and December 2023.

Kerry Independent Michael Healy-Rae said he was the landlord of over a dozen rental properties in Kilgarvan and Killarney in Co Kerry, including houses at 12 different locations, multiple apartments, and student accommodation.

Fine Gael’s Paul Kehoe declared himself as the landlord of two apartments in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

Former Labour party leader Alan Kelly stated that he occasionally let a holiday home in Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry in 2023.

Fianna Fáil’s James Lawless said that he let out a residential property in Sallins, Co Kildare.

The Green Party TD Brian Leddin said that he was the landlord of a property on the North Circular Road in Limerick, which he had a 50% stake in.

Agriculture Minister and Fianna Fáil TD Charlie McConalogue declared a rental income from an apartment in Ashtown in north Dublin last year.

Independent TD Michael McNamara described himself as the “lessor” of farmland in the townland of Teeroneer in Co Clare.

Fianna Fáil’s Michael Moynihan also said he was a landlord who rented out farmland in Mallow and a house Kanturk in which he had a one-third share.

Offaly-based Independent TD Carol Nolan said she derived a rental income in 2023 from a two-bedroom cottage in Birr, which she jointly owns with her husband.

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl declared a rental income from a house he let in Fennor, Co Kildare.

Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan listed himself as the landlord of a property at Highfield Mews in Rathmines in Dublin, but also listed the house as vacant and for sale last year (the house is currently listed as ‘sale agreed’ with a guide price of €650,000).

Independent TD Matt Shanahan declared himself as the landlord of a property in Waterford city last year.

Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith stated that he rented out an apartment in Clontarf.

And Taoiseach Leo Varadkar named himself as renting out an apartment in Castleknock in Dublin, which he declared an income from for the first time last year.