Dermot Bannon walks away from questions on promotion of government housing grants

TV architect was at the launch of a new estate with Darragh O’Brien

Celebrity architect Dermot Bannon walked away from questions yesterday after being asked about his TV programme’s promotion of grants from the Department of Housing.

The RTÉ Room to Improve show heavily promoted a series of grants and schemes – which the main opposition party says it will abolish – after Mr Bannon enjoyed a private briefing in Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien’s department.

Asked if there was any subvention to his production company in relation to the “product placement” of the minister’s policies, Mr Bannon answered: “No.”

He then moved off as he was being addressed, promising to answer questions later.

An hour later, he was asked whether the plugging of grants had been “just because you personally know the minister”.

Mr Bannon said questions could be submitted in writing, adding “and we will deal with them”.

He gestured to a PR executive and said queries could be sent in, then abruptly turned and walked away, buttoning his jacket.

A series of questions were called out to the TV presenter as he walked away.

One was: “Do you realise how bad this will look?”

The PR executive then said she was not actually connected to the TV programme, or to Mr Bannon’s company.

By then, Mr Bannon was gone, and the questions he promised to answer still lingered.

The story of the strange partnership was broken by the Sunday Independent earlier this year and generated significant controversy, although the minister and presenter both kept their heads down at the time.

Yesterday, the two men were present together at the launch of a new estate of affordable and social homes in Hollystown, Dublin 15.

Mr Bannon was acting as MC for the builder, Glenveagh Homes.

As he stood on a mezzanine terrace with a beaming minister, Mr Bannon was asked by the Irish Independent what went on when he was promoting the department’s grants on Room to Improve.

He was asked this in the context of viewers not knowing at the time of a special briefing for the programme makers and Mr Bannon inside the Department of Housing.

Mr Bannon had just stated that questions would be taken later as “we’re going to talk about the development”.

Mr O’Brien was then asked if he was concerned about the matter because it gave rise to controversy about the grant system.

He said: “Sorry, these grants are working really well. To be fair for any show or any newspaper, any TV show or radio show, it’s only right and proper that they do their research.”

He was apparently referring to the special audience granted within his department, which was widely considered unusual and drew parliamentary questions.

“Seven-and-a-half thousand families have applied for this grant. Over 4,000 have been approved for up to €70,000 and it’s been taking vacant and derelict homes back into use,” Mr O’Brien said as Mr Bannon stood by with his arms folded.

“It is making a real difference and I absolutely see no problem with it. And I don’t actually understand why there will be any difficulty whatsoever of informing the public about what’s there to help them get a home.”

He was told that the man beside him had been given a special briefing, and Mr Bannon was asked if there was no benefit in exchange.

The TV presenter said: “We’ve got a lot of houses here, and we’ve to get through this, and I will talk to you at the end of this.” He then moved off through the crowd.

Mr Bannon later spoke and introduced a series of other speakers at the launch of Wilkinson’s Brook in Hollystown, Dublin 15, before showing off a four-bedroom unit.

‘A series of questions were called out to the TV presenter as he walked away. One was: “Do you realise how bad this will look?”’