Connolly needs to account for her role in home repossessions – Cllr Frank Fahy

A Galway councillor who sought responses from Catherine Connolly about her role in home repossessions by financial institutions has called for clear answers from the Presidential candidate.

Cllr Frank Fahy, who has been a Galway city councillor since 2011, said: “Deputy Connolly has finally taken questions about cases, she was involved in, where homes were repossessed by financial institutions.”

“But she is not being anyway transparent on it.

“Nine times she was asked on Wednesday about it and she obstinately tried to evade the question: Did she work for financial institutions on home repossessions.

“It was a very tough time for everyone when the Celtic Tiger credit boom exploded, leading to a recession, which caused untold hardship for numerous families here in Galway, and across the country.

“I challenged Deputy Connolly about this in a debate in the summer of 2020, but she refused to answer the question or acknowledge her previous role. I repeatedly said it was a fact, but she would not acknowledge it.

“As far back as 2014, I asked then Cllr Connolly about representing the banks in the council chamber in 2014 when we were both local representatives for our homeplace.

“Barristers work on all cases – that is their job.

“But Deputy Connolly should at least admit what work she did openly without having it dragged from her.

“Is it because she agreed with Dáil calls for a moratorium on home repossessions previously? Or what else did she say on the matter?

“And I think it is very important that everyone here in Galway – where the Deputy hails from – knows exactly how many home repossessions for financial institutions she was involved in and what were the outcomes of those cases were. This is very much in the public interest.

“We still don’t have clear answers on that.

“Deputy Connolly preaches about honesty in dealing with the media but why did she take so long to address this topic?

“As a public representative, Deputy Connolly demands transparency and accountability on numerous issues in Irish life.

“It is only right that she should afford the same respect to the public she seeks votes from.

“Catherine Connolly needs to fully account for her role with banks and financial institutions in their home repossessions,” Cllr Fahy said.