McCaughey resigns from second State body

Businessman Gerry McCaughey has resigned as chairman of the Property Registration Authority, just hours after stepping down as…

Businessman Gerry McCaughey has resigned as chairman of the Property Registration Authority, just hours after stepping down as chairman of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

Mr McCaughey is the founder of timber housing firm Century Homes, and a former Progressive Democrats election candidate.

The Property Registration Authority is the registering authority for property in Ireland.

His decision to tender his resignation from both organisations comes after it was revealed that he and other shareholders of Century Homes avoided paying capital gains tax on their huge gains when they sold the company to Kingspan for €74 million in 2005, by using a tax device brought to their attention by accountancy firm KPMG.

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The scheme used by Mr McCaughey and other shareholders involved the shares being sold to their wives who moved temporarily to Italy. The wives sold the shares on to Kingspan.

Mr McCaughey had only taken over the role of chairman of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority four weeks ago, replacing Donal O'Connor, who is now the executive chairman of Anglo Irish Bank.