Michael Lowry: Who is the 'Kingmaker' of the next government?

Simon Harris’s Fine Gael and Micheal Martin’s Fianna Fail have been negotiating with independent TDs to form a government as the parties’ combined seat numbers fall just shy of a majority following the General Election.

While these talks have been underway with the Regional Independent Group, the Moriarty Tribunal came back into the media limelight fourteen years on with much of the focus being put on Tipperary North TD Michael Lowry.

The Regional Independent Group, which includes Mr Lowry, has eight members and the group had been negotiating as a single unit, with Lowry acting as the group's point of contact.

READ MORE: Michael Martin refuses to comment on Michael Lowry's integrity

Who is Michael Lowry?

Michael Lowry is currently an Independent TD for Tipperary North who has run as an Independent TD since leaving Fine Gael in 1996.

Mr Lowry began his political career in 1979 when he was first elected to Tipperary North Riding County Council. Eight years later he became a Fine Gael TD for Tipperary North and in 1993 he became chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party.

In 1994, Lowry was responsible for leading the Fine Gael negotiations that resulted in the formation of the Rainbow government under John Bruton with Democratic Left and Labour. He was then appointed Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications.

Two years later he stood down from his post in government and resigned from the Fine Gael party. The now 70 year old has been an Independent TD ever since.

Following the General Election in 2020, Michael Lowry became a member of the newly formed group of Independent TD’s in the Dáil which is known as the Independent Regional Group.

What is/was the Moriarty Tribunal?

In 1997, the Moriarty Tribunal was established to investigate payments to politicians and matters related to the payments. The tribunal found that Michael Lowry had had an "insidious and pervasive" influence in the awarding of a mobile phone licence to Denis O'Brien's Esat Digifone company.

Despite the investigation and its findings, Lowry remained a popular candidate amongst his constituents as he has topped the polls and won seven elections consecutively as an Independent TD.

The tribunal's findings resurfaced following confirmation from gardaí last Thursday that a file relating to its investigations surrounding the findings of the tribunal had been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

It had been reported last year that Mr Lowry was interviewed by gardaí from the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) who are investigating matters connected to the Moriarty Tribunal.

What was uncovered during the Moriarty Tribunal?

In 2011, the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal were that Mr Lowry had "secured the winning" of the competition for a mobile phone licence for Denis O'Brien's  Esat Digifone while he was Minister for Communications.

The tribunal also found that Mr O'Brien had imparted financial benefits on Mr Lowry which included a payment of IR£147,000 (€187,000) in July 1996 when Lowry was still holding a position as a government minister.

Furthermore, the benefits imparted on Lowry "were demonstrably referable to the acts and conduct of Mr Lowry in regard to the [licence] process, that inured to the benefit of Mr O'Brien's winning consortium".

Mr Lowry and Mr O'Brien rejected the findings and conclusions drawn by the tribunal.

Has Michael Lowry addressed the current investigation?

Michael Lowry released a statement last Thursday saying: "Last year, I received a request for assistance from An Garda Síochána.

"I freely, voluntarily and willingly met them on one occasion and was fully cop-operative. This was the only engagement or correspondence I had with the Garda over the 14 years since the report was published.

"At no point, on that occasion or since, was it suggested that there were or are any charges being contemplated against me.

"I am fully confident that there is no basis for any liability attaching to me."

For 28 years, Lowry has maintained that there was no wrongdoing or impropriety in relation to the award of the licence to Esat Digifone, he said: "The award of the licence was made after a fully fair process, which included experienced members of the Civil Service and independent professional experts."