Criteria removed after Lowry took office

A critical omission was made in the criteria for the second GSM mobile telephone licence shortly after Michael Lowry became Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications in December 1994.

John Coughlan SC for the Moriarty Tribunal said yesterday initial criteria for the licence competition stipulated applicants had to demonstrate financial capacity and technical expertise to the inter-departmental GSM project group that first met in March 1994.

After Mr Lowry became minister these two stipulations were removed and it was left for him to decide if they were complied with.