Damien English will not face Sipo probe into planning application omission

Former junior minister Damien English will not face a standards watchdog investigation over the incorrect planning application that led to his resignation.

The TD for Meath West quit as a minister in January after apologising for failing to declare his ownership of a house in Castlemartin to Meath County Council when making a planning application in 2008.

He left his role as minister in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment following claims made about the planning application on The Ditch website.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy made a complaint to Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) about the matter.

Sipo has now replied to Mr Murphy, saying Mr English “completed his annual declarations in line with the Commission’s Guidelines on Compliance with the Provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001”.

The watchdog added: “Therefore, the Commission was of the view that the complaint was not of sufficient gravity to warrant investigation in accordance with section 4(5) of the 2001 Act.

“The Commission accordingly closed the complaint and no further action will be taken on this matter.”

Mr Murphy expressed disappointment at the move. He said it emphasised the need for Sipo to be given more powers.

“It’s disappointing that Sipo refused to investigate this complaint,” he said.

The TD added: “This decision underscores the toothless nature of Sipo. We clearly need a properly resourced and empowered ethics watchdog.”

Announcing his resignation in January, Mr English said: “I reviewed this application, made in 2008, and it is clear to me that I failed to inform Meath County Council about ownership of my house in Castlemartin.

“This was wrong, not up to the standard required and I apologise for doing so.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said his Fine Gael party colleague paid a “big political price” for the planning application omission as he described him as an “extraordinarily decent person”.