SIPO completed an investigation into Robert Troy – which found the ex-junior minister's failure to declare properties was a "serious matter" – five weeks before the general election but only published its findings yesterday.
The Ditch asked SIPO – which usually publishes reports within days of completion – three days before the general election if it had progressed its investigation into Troy. SIPO responded to say it hadn't published the report – but didn't comment on its status.
The watchdog found that Troy breached ethics law – "in some respects negligently” – over his failure to declare property interests, which led to his resignation as trade promotion minister after reports published by The Ditch.
Previous investigation reports published same day
Fianna Fáil's Robert Troy appeared before a SIPO hearing in June this year to face allegations he breached ethics legislation.
On 26 November, 2024, just three days before the general election, The Ditch emailed SIPO to ask if it had “made any further progress on its investigation into Robert Troy”.
The ethics body replied the next day but didn’t answer the question it was asked.
"The commission has not yet published its finding in relation to the Robert Troy investigation or hearing. A press release will be issued when the report is published and will be available on www.sipo.ie,” said a SIPO spokesperson in an email dated 27 November, 2024.
SIPO published its findings yesterday afternoon without publishing a press release on its website about the report dated 21 October, 2024.
The Ditch has reviewed the last five investigation reports published on SIPO’s website – excluding the most recent one, which was not properly dated – and found that all were published on their completion dates.
An investigation into ex-councillor Hugh McElvaney, dated 28 January, 2020, was published by SIPO on the same day.
Meanwhile findings against county councillors Joseph Queenan and John O’Donnell – featured in SIPO reports dated 25 March, 2019 – appeared in the media the following day.
Similarly SIPO reports on councillors Frank Durcan and Cyril Burke, dated 12 December, 2018, were followed by a news report the following day.
SIPO has been contacted for comment.
