Fine Gael election candidate drops out after confirming payout of €15k to withdraw planning objection

Louth Fine Gael candidate Marian Dwyer-Agrios has dramatically dropped out of the upcoming local elections race, after she confirmed receiving a large sum of money from a developer to withdraw her objection to a housing development near her Termonfeckin home.

Marian Dwyer-Agrios issued a statement on Facebook which confirmed a report made by The Ditch on Monday, alleging that the Fine Gael candidate had received payment to withdraw objections to the building of new residential units.

A report by The Ditch outlined that a developer applied to Louth County Council in October 2019 for permission to build six extra residential units at its Balfeddock Manor development in Termonfeckin.

Dwyer-Agrios, who lives next to the new housing estate, is reported to have lodged a one-page objection to the development on November 24, 2019. The sole grounds for the objection was said to be the increase in the number of proposed houses “exceeds the limit of the local area plan”.

According to internal documents seen by The Ditch, Marian Dwyer-Agrios met with the site developer on 10 January, 2020 and told them she had her “objection to An Bord Pleanála drafted and ready to go.”

Dwyer-Agrios initially sought €40,000 from the landowner but eventually agreed on €30,000 in exchange for withdrawing her objection.

The Ditch reported that Dwyer-Agrios had the developer in question pay her €15,000 and carry out €15,000 worth of work to her house so she would withdraw her objection to the Louth housing development.

This agreement included a clause compelling Wakeward to complete the works on the Agrios home and pay the €15,000 cash by 30 September, 2020.

The Drogheda Rural candidate threatened legal proceedings against the developer when she was told that the work on her home – which included a new Indian sandstone patio – would be delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the Facebook post published on Tuesday morning, Dwyer-Agrios asked voters not to vote for her as a councillor for Drogheda Rural.

The post read as follows: “Following a report published online yesterday (Monday), I wish to announce I will not be contesting the 2024 Local Elections.

"What occurred was wrong and I am extremely sorry for it. It should not have happened. While my name remains on the ballot paper, I now ask that voters do not consider me for election.

"Once again, I apologise for what happened. It should not have occurred. I will not be making any further comment on this issue."

The former Drogheda Rural candidate has since turned her Instagram account private, and disabled comments on her Facebook.

Earlier this month Agrios posted a TikTok video claiming that she wants to “make home ownership attainable for our young adults”.

Justice minister Helen McEntee had recently endorsed first-time candidate Agrio’s campaign, and the Louth woman has been canvassing and meeting with the Fine Gael hierarchy, including Simon Harris, Paschal Donohoe, Simon Coveney, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and John Gahon.

The Government recently promised to make abuse of the planning system a criminal offence after it was revealed a former Fine Gael election candidate received payments of up to €50,000 in exchange for withdrawing strategically lodged planning objections.