Longford-Westmeath Minister speaks about his tenancy dispute

​Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Robert Troy, who was ordered by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to pay €500 to his tenant Ms Priscilla Ryan after she was left without a functioning oven for at least three months, has shed further light on the background of the dispute which made headlines in recent days.

​An RTB tribunal regarding the apartment on Mary Street in Mullingar found that the Longford-Westmeath Fianna Fáil TD had breached his obligations as a landlord under Section 12 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004.

During the hearing, Ms Ryan outlined a significant number of maintenance complaints which she said had begun shortly after her tenancy commenced. Her primary complaint was the oven, which, she told the tribunal, had “melted.”

She said she had been told not to use the cooker, and while it had been fixed previously, it did not work properly. The tribunal heard that a new cooker had been installed prior to the hearing.

Ms Ryan outlined issues including “a rotten entrance door”, grass growing through gaps, a draughty window, and holes in the wall where heaters had fallen off. She likened the outside yard to a ‘death trap’ as it was a slip hazard due to being covered in moss. She also claimed there was no fire exit/fire escape or fire extinguisher.

In response, John Shaw of Egan Auctioneers, the company responsible for the management of the property, said the door was not rotten and the draught issue had been resolved by installing a draught excluder. He added that the matter of holes in the walls had not been raised with the agents at the time of the last inspection in February this year.

Ms Ryan further told the tribunal that she felt emotionally drained and had suffered a stroke as a result of stress arising from an incident in which photographs of her family and personal information appeared on a Daft listing for the sale of the property.

She said she had not realised the reason for the photographer’s visit and had ‘stepped out of the flat’, as requested. She claimed that this breach of privacy had caused tensions within her family resulting in her not being able to see her grandchildren.

In response to the Longford Leader, Minister Troy said he fully accepted and respected the ruling of the RTB, and acknowledged the vital role it played in our housing system when it came to ensuring disputes between landlords and tenants were resolved fairly and independently.

Minister Troy also went on to address the issue on which the RTB had upheld Ms Ryan’s complaint, namely the delay in replacing the cooker.

He explained, “The property in question is managed by an independent, professional letting agent, Egan Auctioneers, who is responsible for its day-to-day management, maintenance and engagement with the tenant. The property was fully renovated in 2019, including the installation of new electrical appliances, along with a brand-new cooker.”

He added, “Following the renovation, any requests for maintenance works and the replacement of equipment were approved and facilitated through the letting agent. When an issue with the cooker was reported, a repair technician was sent to inspect it within days. When the attempted repair proved unsuccessful, arrangements were made for a replacement cooker to be installed by Expert Electrical. The replacement was installed on June 29, 2026, prior to the Tribunal hearing.”

“The letting agent was also authorised to engage with the RTB and act on my behalf throughout the dispute resolution process. The issue on which the RTB upheld the tenant’s complaint concerned the delay in replacing the cooker.”

Minister Troy added, “In considering the other maintenance requests raised by the tenant, the RTB found that the letting agent had either not been made aware of certain matters or that, in other instances, the necessary works had been carried out in a timely manner.”

“I firmly believe that tenants should be able to expect a high standard of service, with any concerns or maintenance issues responded to and dealt with appropriately. That is the reason I employed a letting agent to manage the property, to ensure that any issues would be dealt with appropriately.

"That is the standard I expect to be upheld in the management of a property. I have accepted the RTB’s determination and confirm that the €500 compensation awarded has been paid to the tenant.”