SIPO finds former Meath County Council cathaoirleach 'recklessly' contravened ethics rules

Former Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council and Mayor of Navan, Tommy Reilly “recklessly” contravened the Code of Conduct for Councillors, the Standards in Public Office Commission has held.

The Commission which published its findings on an investigation into the former Fianna Fail councillor today (Tuesday) said the breaches were of “a serious rather than a minor matter.”

In its report, the Commission held Mr Reilly recklessly failed to disclose his son’s interest in lands at Liscarton at a Special Planning Meeting of Meath County Council at which rezoning of the land was to be discussed, although he had excused himself on the grounds of conflict of interest.

The Commission also found that it was inappropriate for Mr Reilly to have attended a pre planning meeting regarding the lands with his son.

The Commission was unable to find Mr Reilly had actual knowledge of his son’s, or sons’, interest in the Liscarton lands prior to the planning meeting and therefore could not find a contravention of the regulations in that regard.

The hearing by SIPO, which took place over two days last June, examined “alleged contraventions of the Local Government Act 2001 and the Code of Conduct for Councillors” by the former Fianna Fáil public representative.

The Commission, chaired by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, investigated Mr Reilly’s involvement in the rezoning of a 35-acre site in Liscarton, Navan. The land, owned by his son, saw its value rise from €500,000 to €4.2m after it was rezoned in 2017. The land has not been sold.

The Commission found that Mr Reilly’s failure to disclose his sons’ interest in the land at the special planning meeting was reckless. “As a long-standing councillor of 21 years service at the time, and with all the experience that entails, the Commission finds that he should have known better and, if he was in doubt, should have sought specific advice beforehand.”

In its report the Commission said it had taken into account,” the fact that the vote on the variation at the Special Planning Meeting was likely to significantly increase the value of the land owned by Mr Tommy Reilly’s son.

The commission said the regulations required him disclose the nature of his interest and “It was not sufficient to merely withdraw due to a conflict of interest”.

The Commission found it was inappropriate of Mr Reilly to attend the pre-planning meeting with his son.

The Commission was of the view that “Mr Tommy Reilly attended the Pre-Planning Consultation for the purpose of representing his son’s company in a matter which would ultimately come before the council executive for decision and which would potentially significantly benefit his son. That was not appropriate. The Commission accepts that Mr Tommy Reilly did not say anything of substance at the meeting, but his presence was significant.

“Mr Tommy Reilly acknowledged less than a year previously that he could have nothing to do with the Liscarton lands and therefore must have foreseen the risk that his attendance at the Pre-Planning consultation may be inappropriate, but he proceeded to attend nonetheless. On this basis, Mr Tommy Reilly acted recklessly.”

The report said the Commission could not say on the evidence that Mr Reilly had actual knowledge of his son’s interest in the Liscarton lands prior to the planning meeting in early July 2017 and found no contravention in that respect.

“However, the Commission notes, in particular, that up until the second day of the hearing, Mr Ciarán Reilly’s position, as set out in his written response to questions from the Commission, was that he had discussed the purchase of the lands with his father prior to the acquisition. Mr Ciarán Reilly subsequently changed this position in his oral evidence on oath before the Commission.”

“The Commission finds that this inappropriate attendance at the Pre-Planning Consultation, and Mr Tommy Reilly’s failure to fully comply with his disclosure obligations at the Special Planning Meeting the previous year, collectively amounted to a failure to maintain proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest in carrying out his functions as a member of the council.

“The Commission finds that these were serious, as opposed to minor, matters.”

At last June’s hearing, Mr Reilly told he hearing he had been “tortured since June 2019 by a certain group of political people who were trying to ensure he lost his seat.”

He said the group lambasted him on the internet and “dragged his name through the mud.”

He “lost his livelihood and his standing in the community”. Mr Reilly said he hadn’t known about his son’s purchase of the land until two weeks before the rezoning and he had absented himself from the meeting at which the zoning took place.

He believed that once he had declared a conflict of interest, he had fulfilled his obligations.

Tommy Reilly was a councillor for 28 years and Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council in 2004 and 2023 .

He was Mayor of Navan on a number of occasions - he was the first Mayor of Navan in 2002, when the new Navan Town Council and title of Mayor was created.

The six members of the commission who considered the evidence were Mr Justice Sheehan; the Comptroller and Auditor General, Seamus McCarthy; the Ombudsman and Information Commissioner for Ireland, Ger Deering; the Clerk of the Dáil, Peter Finnegan; the Clerk of the Seanad, Martin Groves and former member of the Seanad, Geraldine Feeney.

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said the council was considering the report and seeking advice on the next steps at this stage.