Carlow County Council’s director of services is leasing six apartments to Wexford County Council – which used to employ him as a senior housing officer.
Pádraig O'Gorman owns eight rental properties and he struck a deal with Wexford County Council to lease six for social housing – just six months after he started his new role with Carlow County Council.
Last month The Ditch reported that the second-most senior housing official at Tipperary County Council is letting two properties she owns to her local authority employer for social housing.
O'Gorman was appointed senior housing officer at Wexford County Council in January 2017.
In December 2019, after almost three years in the senior housing role, he was appointed director of services for transportation, environment and water services at Carlow County Council.
Just months later, in 2020, O’Gorman signed a 20-year lease agreement with his former employer Wexford County Council for his six apartments on Commercial Quay in Wexford town.
O’Gorman is the co-owner, along with two others, of the six apartments in Wexford town, according to Carlow County Council’s staff register of interests. He has also declared his ownership of a further two rental properties, a house and a pub.
As a senior housing officer in Wexford, O’Gorman told a May 2018 meeting of Wexford County Council that the Department of Housing “was placing less emphasis on leasing”.
O’Gorman confirmed to The Ditch earlier today that he signed a “20 year” lease with his former employer in 2020 for the six flats.
“With such a shortage and need for accommodation, suitable properties should be considered for use,” added O’Gorman when asked if he thought the deal was appropriate.
A spokesperson for Wexford County Council said, “All parties, including council staff, are free to express interest in the provision of a property to the local authority, where they own that property.”
