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Robert Troy (born 24 January 1982) is an Irish
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...
politician who has been a
Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( ; ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish language, Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The official Engli ...
(TD) for the Longford–Westmeath constituency since
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
. He has been a
minister of state Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...
since January 2025. He served as minister of state from 2020 to 2022, resigning after failing to declare property interests.


Biography

Troy was born in
Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, Ireland, Midland Region, with a population of 22,667 in the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census. The Counties of M ...
in 1982, but is a native of Ballynacargy,
County Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...
. He attended Emper National School and boarded at St Finian's College, Mullingar, and was on the committee of
National Youth Council of Ireland The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) is a representative body for Irish youth organisations, a role that is recognised in the 2001 Youth Work Act. Currently there are 45 national youth organisations who are full member of the NYCI. The Na ...
. He subsequently completed a certificate in marketing at the
Dublin Business School Dublin Business School (DBS), incorporating Portobello College, is a private college Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they of ...
. Troy was elected to
Westmeath County Council Westmeath County Council () is the local authority of County Westmeath, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planni ...
in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, and re-elected in
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
. He was elected as a TD for the Longford–Westmeath constituency at the 2011 general election, beating the two sitting Fianna Fáil TDs, Peter Kelly and former cabinet Minister and
Leader of the Seanad The Leader of the Seanad (referred to within the Seanad as Leader of the House ) is a member of Seanad Éireann appointed by the Taoiseach to direct government business. Since February 2025, the incumbent is Seán Kyne of Fine Gael. The deputy l ...
Mary O'Rourke Mary O'Rourke (; 31 May 1937 – 3 October 2024) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Leader of the Seanad and Leader of Fianna Fáil in the Seanad from 2002 to 2007, Deputy leader of Fianna Fáil from 1994 to 2002, Minister f ...
. Troy was the Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Arts and Heritage from April 2011 to July 2012, when he was appointed as Spokesperson on Children. Following the 2016 general election he was appointed Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Transport, Tourism and Sport.


Minister of State

From July 2020 to August 2022 he served as
Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment of the Government of Ireland and assists the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and E ...
with special responsibility for trade promotion. He resigned following revelations about his failure to declare property interests. In August 2022, online news platform ''
The Ditch ''The Ditch'', also known as ''Goodbye Jiabiangou'', is a 2010 film produced and directed by Wang Bing, an independent Chinese filmmaker better known for his work on documentaries. The film, on the subject of Chinese forced-labour camps during ...
'' reported that Troy had failed to declare his full business interests in the Register of Members Interests in line with the standard obligations of a TD. It was discovered that he had sold a property to
Westmeath County Council Westmeath County Council () is the local authority of County Westmeath, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planni ...
, of which he was previously a member, in 2018. Troy claimed that this failure was an error on his part. It was later discovered that Troy had failed to register the sale of a second property to Longford County Council in 2019, and failed to declare an interest in a third house in
Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, Ireland, Midland Region, with a population of 22,667 in the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census. The Counties of M ...
in 2020. It subsequently emerged in an
RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
interview on 23 August 2022 that in all, he had 11 properties, nine of which he was renting out; he admitted he had failed to properly declare a property business he was involved in; and he was in receipt of income under the state-funded Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) for two properties. Around this time Troy had also spoken about increasing funding for that scheme. On 24 August, it was revealed that one of Troy's rental properties had no fire certificate. Later on 24 August, Troy resigned as a minister of state, insisting he had made genuine errors with his statutory declaration while saying he would not apologise for being a landlord. In a lengthy statement, he accepted the issue had now become a distraction for the coalition and the work his party was doing in the housing portfolio. He also criticised media coverage of the controversy. He said "I personally will not apologise for being a landlord. I bought my first house at the age of 20 as I went straight into a job after school, so I was in a position to purchase my first property then. I am not a person of privilege and I have not been brought up with a silver spoon in my mouth, I have worked for all I have." An investigation by
Standards in Public Office Commission The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) () is an independent body established in December 2001 by the Government of Ireland, Irish Government under the Standards in Public Office Act 2001. It replaced the Public Offices Commission which h ...
found that the failure to declare some of Troy's interests was accidental, however his obligation to make these declarations were inadvertently but negligently breached. In January 2025, he was appointed as
Minister of State at the Department of Finance The Minister of State at the Department of Finance is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Finance of the Government of Ireland. A Minister of State does not hold cabinet rank. The position was created on 1 January 1978, replacing the ...
with responsibility for financial services, credit unions and insurance. In March 2025 in the
Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...
Register of Interests, he declared income as a landlord from eight properties in
Phibsborough Phibsborough (; ), also spelled Phibsboro, is a mixed commercial and residential neighbourhood on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. The Bradogue River crosses the area in a culvert, and the Royal Canal passes through its northern reaches, no ...
in Dublin, and
Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, Ireland, Midland Region, with a population of 22,667 in the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census. The Counties of M ...
and Ballynacargy in Westmeath.


References


External links

*
Robert Troy's page on Fianna Fáil website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Troy, Robert 1982 births Living people Fianna Fáil TDs Members of Westmeath County Council Members of the 31st Dáil Members of the 32nd Dáil Members of the 33rd Dáil Politicians from County Westmeath Alumni of Dublin Business School Ministers of State of the 33rd Dáil People from Ballynacargy People from Mullingar Fianna Fáil local councillors Members of the 34th Dáil Ministers of State of the 34th Dáil