Fine Gael councillor Ted Leddy, close friend and constituency ally of Leo Varadkar, asked Fingal County Council not to publish one of his attempts at a declaration of interests. The council complied with his request.
The Ditch last year reported that Leddy failed to declare his ownership of 13 rental properties in Cavan and Dublin, as well his stake in a family property company that ultimately owns the portfolio. Though his company charges €1,200 a month for a two-bedroom flat on Cavan Main Street, Leddy told The Ditch at the time, “I’ve no idea what the market rent is in Cavan. I’ve no idea.”
The Ditch later this reported that Leddy submitted two new declarations – one of which the council, unusually, didn’t publish. When another councillor submitted an updated declaration last year, the council maintained both documents on its website – it didn’t do likewise with Leddy.
Leddy actually submitted a fourth, still unpublished, declaration and asked the council to "hold off" on publishing it, according to freedom of information records seen by The Ditch. He wouldn’t tell The Ditch why he asked the council this. Fingal County Council wouldn’t tell The Ditch if it plans to ever publish all Leddy’s attempts at his declaration.
Three of Leddy’s attempts to declare aren’t published
What it now turns out is Ted Leddy’s fourth declaration, published on the council’s website, is signed and dated 16, November 2022. Leddy submitted this declaration after The Ditch’s first report on his failure to declare his property interests.
Before the council published this document, Leddy submitted a separate attempt at it.
On 10 November, 2022 Leddy emailed an employee at the council and asked her not to publish this declaration.
“Would you mind holding off putting it on the website until you hear from me later in the day,” reads the email released to journalist Ken Foxe under the freedom of information act.
The council employee didn’t respond but complied with Leddy’s request – the declaration remains unpublished, bringing Leddy’s total declaration attempts to four.
Green Party councillor Karen Power had to submit a revised declaration to the council in June last year and both her documents remain on Fingal County Council’s website. Three of Leddy’s declarations aren’t published.
A spokesperson for the council said, “Please be advised that we have no further comment to make on this matter.”
Leddy, who has worked as a parliamentary assistant for Leo Varadkar, last year threatened legal action against political opponent Ruth Coppinger. His threat came after the former Solidarity TD republished information from one of The Ditch’s reports on his property dealings.
