Well known Fianna Fail TD for Limerick, Willie O’Dea finds himself in the spotlight over concerns over his role in a company involved in a housing project on the northside of Limerick City.
The Limerick Leader is reporting that Willie O’Dea is non-executive Chairman of a British property company called Formation plc who is an investor in a property development consisting of 110 homes just off the Condell Road in Limerick.
Questions have arisen after Mr O’Dea objected to a €9.8m county council project on the other side of the road to build 37 houses, apartments and complexes.
This council plan would be half social rental housing and half affordable homes – and while it was ultimately passed by members, his Fianna Fail party colleagues did object to it in 2018.
Mr O’Dea had argued at the time that a social housing only estate is “contrary” to policy, reports the Limerick Leader.
According to the Limerick Leader, SF councillor Sharon Benson raised the matter at a council meeting saying:
“In my opinion, I think the involvement of a Fianna Fail TD in this particular development is concerning, and I believe it to be a conflict of interest given the fact both he and some local Fianna Fail councillors publicly objected to the application [for the council project] in the same area. So it would seem that it’s not OK, according to Fianna Fail for the council to build social housing in the area, but it’s OK for a company chaired by a Fianna Fail TD to build housing in the same area.”
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