‘No comment’ from Limerick minister as SIPO begin enquiries

Last February, a Garda scoping enquiry found that no crime had been committed and the matter did not merit a criminal investigation.

LIMERICK Minster Niall Collins said this Monday that he had “no comment” to make in respect of the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) having launched a formal investigation in respect of the sale of land by Limerick County Council to his wife 18 years ago.

SIPO launched its enquiries on foot of complaints received from and including People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, as well as former Fianna Fáil activist and Independent Ireland election candidate Kristofer Shekelton.

The 2023 complaints to SIPO followed reporting on the issue by The Ditch news website.

A post on Deputy Murphy’s X account on Monday stated: “More than three years after I complained to SIPO about Niall Collins, they have finally said they will start an inquiry.”

SIPO told Deputy Murphy, in written correspondence seen by this reporter, that it was proceeding with a preliminary enquiry “to gather more information and to establish the facts of the complaints”.

An inquiry officer at SIPO stated in the letter to Deputy Murphy that they would, “in accordance with the provisions of the Ethics Acts, carry out a preliminary inquiry under section 6(2) of the Standards in Public Office Act 2001(the 2001 Act) into the complaint; prepare a report in writing of the results of the inquiry; furnish the report, any statements made pursuant to s.6(2) of the 2001 Act, and any other relevant documentation to the Commission; and express an opinion as to whether there is prima facie evidence to sustain the complaints”.

The foundation of Deputy Murphy’s 2023 complaint is that Minister Niall Collins’ wife, Dr Eimear O’Connor, expressed an interest in buying a piece of land from Limerick County Council through a solicitor in a letter dated December 15, 2006.

Deputy Murphy told SIPO that, at a meeting of the Bruff Local Electoral Area of Limerick County Council on January 15, 2007, when Niall Collins was sitting on the Council, a proposal was made to put the land up for sale.

The minutes of that meeting state: “The members were in favour of the proposal and it was proposed by Councillor Enright and seconded by Councillor Butler to proceed as outlined.”

Deputy Murphy claimed that Niall Collins, being present at the meeting, did not declare his wife’s prior expression of interest to the Council in buying the land and did not withdraw from the meeting for that item.

On foot of the decision of the Bruff Electoral Area Committee, the land was put up for sale and was subsequently sold to Minister Collins’ wife after a bidding process.

The land went sale agreed in September 2007 and was agreed by a full Council meeting in September 2008, when Niall Collins was no longer a member of the Council.

A purchase price of €148,000 was agreed and planning permission for the construction of a two-storey building comprising of a ground-floor medical centre and first-floor offices was granted in June 2008 to Dr O’Connor.

Deputy Murphy’s complaint to SIPO states: “By participating in the decision of the meeting of the Bruff Electoral Area Committee to put the land up for sale and not declaring his interest, nor stepping aside, Niall Collins breached section 4.4 of the Code of Conduct for Councillors and Section 177 of the Local Government Act.”

Addressing the Dáil in April 2023, Minister Collins said he was is in “absolutely no doubt” that his actions in relation to the sale of the land were “at all times legally correct”.

However, he told the Dáil: “In hindsight, it would have been better had I not participated in the local area committee meeting in January of 2007.″

“Even though it is absolutely clear that my wife did not benefit in any way for my attendance at the January 2007 meeting,” he said.

“However, when I did attend, it was my full understanding and it remains the same today that I was not participating in a discussion or a decision that in any way contravened the 2001 Local Government Act,” said the Limerick minister.

“No law was broken. I did not participate in any decision that authorised the sale of this land.”

SIPO did not indicate when it expected its preliminary enquiry would be completed.

When contacted by the Limerick Post this Monday, Minister Collins said he would not making any comment while the SIPO probe was live.