Frank Fahey

Frank Fahey
Teachta Dála
In office June 1997 – February 2011
In office February 1982 – November 1992
Constituency	Galway West
Senator
In office February 1993 – June 1997
Constituency	Labour Panel
Personal details
Born	6 June 1951 Galway, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Alma mater	University College Galway

Frank Fahey (born 6 June 1951) is an Irish property developer and former Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency.^[1]

Life before politics

Frank Fahey was born in June 1951 in Galway. He was educated at St Mary's College, Our Lady's College and University College Galway. He was a schoolteacher before he entered politics.

Ministerial career

Fahey was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the February 1982 general election.^[2] In 1987, he was appointed Minister of State for Youth and Sport. He lost his Dáil seat at the 1992 general election and was appointed to Seanad Éireann, serving in the 20th Seanad until 1997. Following Fianna Fáil's victory at the 1997 general election, he returned to the Dáil and was appointed Minister of State with special responsibility for Children. In January 2000, he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources.

Following the re-election of the incumbent government at the 2002 general election, Fahey was demoted to the post of junior Minister at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. He was re-elected at the 2007 general election but not appointed to any ministerial office.^[3] He was, however, appointed to head the joint Oireachtas committee on Transport.^[4]

Controversies

Lost at Sea scheme

While Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources in 2000, Fahey launched the Lost at Sea scheme to compensate fishermen whose vessels had been lost at sea. In 2004, following a complaint from a late applicant (who had been turned down), the Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly recommended to the department that latecomers should be considered, saying that the schemes had a "serious defect" in having contacted some fishing families and not others. Via a freedom of information request, The Sunday Business Post found that Fahey had discussed the scheme with two constituents, who later received three quarters (around €2m) of the overall compensation, prior to the announcement - and had written to them about their successful applications prior to the closing date. In 2007 the Standards in Public Office Commission found no problems with Fahey's conduct.^[5][6] In 2009 the Ombudsman published a full report into the scheme, again recommending that late applicants receive compensation, but it was blocked from discussion in the Oireachtas by the government.^[7][8]

Corrib gas project

In 2000, one of Fahey's last acts as Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources was to approve the foreshore licence for the controversial^[9] Corrib gas project.^[10] In 2002, in connection with this project, he approved the sale of a large area of Irish national forestry at Bellanaboy to Shell Oil for the building of a gas processing site, which caused much controversy.^[11]

Investments and property

The Irish Times reported in 2006 that in 1994, when Fahey was a Senator, he became involved in establishing a hair and beauty salon business in Moscow, involving an investment of over £200,000 (€254,000).^[12][13] Fahey did not officially declare the interest and at first denied involvement with the salon. Later, he admitted a connection, saying he had travelled to Moscow "as an ordinary citizen to support the investors including my wife who were attempting to set up a hair salon there...the whole thing was part of a regional political campaign by a number of individuals to do damage to my integrity, character and good name".^[14]

Fahey has invested in properties in countries including Ireland, France, the US, Dubai and Belgium. He also declared an interest in a construction company and a share portfolio in the Dáil Register of Members Interests.^[15][16]

In June 2009, Government minister Trevor Sargent accused Fahey in the Dáil of tax avoidance and making inappropriate decisions as a minister, and called on the Taoiseach to sack him.^[17]

Loss of seat

The 2011 general election was disastrous for Fianna Fáil^[18] and Fahey lost his seat, his first preference vote declining to 5.7%.^[19] He had said in November 2010: “I have no illusions that I will lose my seat”.^[20] During a public meeting in the run up to the election he and government advisor Alan Aherne were booed and heckled.^[21]

References

1. "Mr. Frank Fahey". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
2. "Frank Fahey". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
3. "Fahey left out of junior ministers line-up". The Irish Times. 20 June 2007.
4. "Representatives from Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport to discuss Transport 21 with Transport Committee". House of the Oireachtas website. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
5. John Burns (4 April 2010). "Going overboard". The Sunday Times.
6. Felle, Tom (4 October 2009). "Ombudsman trawls for details of Lost at Sea compensation". Sunday Business Post. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
7. McGee, Harry (15 October 2009). "Oireachtas group rejects Lost at Sea scheme report". Irish Times. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
8. "Call to reverse fishermen decision". Belfast Telegraph. 12 May 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
9. Fleming, Diarmaid (3 August 2005). "Bitter dispute over gas pipeline". BBC News.
10. "Green light for Corrib gas field". RTÉ News. 15 April 2002.
11. Ryan, Áine (8 May 2007). "Government blamed at hearing". Mayo News. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
12. "Business deals in Russia often involve Mafia". The Irish Times. 13 June 2006.
13. "Moscow allegation places controversy laiden Frank Fahey under the government's glare". Sunday Tribune. 18 June 2006.
14. Sheehan, Maeve (16 July 2006). "Greens make political hay while the sun shines hard on junior minister". Irish Independent.
15. "Fahey tops Dáil property ownership list". RTÉ News. 13 March 2008.
16. Ryan, Vincent (6 September 2009). "Fahey partners focus of probe by Nationwide". The Irish Independent.
17. "Sargent to Taoiseach: Fire Frank Fahey". Irish Examiner. 29 June 2006.
18. Doyle, Kilian (27 February 2011). "Kenny leads Fine Gael to win as Fianna Fáil vote collapses". Irish Times. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
19. "Galway West". RTÉ News. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
20. Andrews, Kernan (25 November 2010). "'I know my seat is a goner in the election' admits Frank Fahey". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
21. Siggins, Lorna (19 January 2011). "TD and finance adviser booed at public meeting". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2 September 2011.