Tánaiste lends his support to the O’Donovans

AFTER sending 166 emails to public and political representatives about their struggles with a vulture fund, Tom, Dena and Therese O’Donovan had a sit-down meeting with Tánaiste Micheál Martin and local TD Michael Collins (Ind) at their hotel in Clonakilty on Saturday morning.

A meeting with Simon Coveney, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, is also on the cards, and the private secretary of President Michael D Higgins has also reached out to the family.

‘I need the people who run our country to know what is going on and to speak out on behalf of the people who are losing their homes, their farms, their businesses to vulture funds,’ Dena O’Donovan told The Southern Star.

The O’Donvans have also reached out to Áras an Uachtaráin, ‘The office of the President said they were appalled that such a thing could happen,’ she added. 

‘And they said they would endeavour to find out more about the issue, bearing in mind that the President cannot get involved in individual cases,’ she said.

Independent TD Michael  Collins attended the 80-minute meeting with the Tánaiste and described it as ‘a productive meeting’, at which all options were discussed, and are to be explored.

Deputy Collins also confirmed that AIB – which sold the €1.2m O’Donovan loan to Everyday Finance – has requested a meeting to discuss the issue.

Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan (FF) pledged that the fight to save the family-run hotel from the receiver is ‘just getting started’.

He said politicians alone  may not be able to change what is happening to the O’Donovan family, but more could be done if the community acted as a whole.

Deputy O’Sullivan noted that the couple can’t leave the hotel because they dread what will happen if they leave for even an hour.