The Ditch editors

Ukrainian refugees housed in illegally converted Donegal basement office, given weekly €30 Lidl vouchers for food

Up to 24 Ukrainian refugees are being housed in an illegally converted construction company office in a basement in Donegal. They’re given €30 Lidl vouchers each for their weeks’ food.

Irish fund in three years buys more than 850 second-hand homes for rental market, claims €20 million+ profit

A single Irish fund has in the last three years bought more than 850 second-hand homes and is now among the biggest landlords in the state.

An Bord Pleanála allowed developer triple site’s declared value – resulting in extra €1m+ for social housing units

An Bord Pleanála (ABP) allowed a developer to value the site for a major housing development at three times the price paid for it just three years previous.

After allegations of ABP board members voting in own neighbourhoods, two change their declarations

After allegations of An Bord Pleanála (ABP) board members voting on applications concerning their home neighbourhoods, two board members have changed their declarations on what they consider their immediate neighbourhoods.

An Bord Pleanála failed to charge developer more than €750,000 in public works fees

An Bord Pleanála (ABP) didn’t charge a developer more than €750,000 in statutory fees the planning authority should’ve collected. The fees would’ve been used for infrastructure projects and other community services local to the development.

Bord Pleanála board member overruled inspector to block 47 apartments in own neighbourhood

A Board Pleanála (ABP) board member twice overruled a planning inspector to block the construction of 47 apartments less than half a kilometre from her Dublin 8 home.

Landlord Fianna Fáil MEP didn’t register rental property with RTB for more than two years

A Fianna Fáil MEP failed to register a rental property with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) for more than two years.

Local authority paid Robert Troy more than agreed purchase price for Mullingar property

Westmeath County Council paid Robert Troy more than the agreed sale price for a property it purchased from the ex-minister. The transaction occurred in June 2018 and was one of Troy’s sales to a local authority that he didn’t declare in his Dáil register.

Sinn Féin TD received €20,000 loan from charity while serving as its director

A Sinn Féin TD received a loan from a charity while he was serving as one of its directors. The deputy said he was not involved in the decision to approve the loan.

Longford County Council spent more than €40,000 readying ex-Troy property for tenants

Longford County Council spent more than €40,000 on construction work on a house it bought from Robert Troy for almost double what the Longford–Westmeath TD paid for it.

Seventy-five percent of Dáil landlords haven’t properly declared their rental properties

Three-quarters of the Dáil’s landlords haven’t properly declared their rental properties in their registers of interests.

An Bord Pleanála chairperson approved €350 million data centre 900 metres from his home

An Bord Pleanála (ABP) chairperson Dave Walsh voted to approve a €350 million data centre less than a kilometre from his home.