Defiant ex-minister to face down Garda probe

A DEFIANT Michael Lowry vowed to face down any Garda investigation into his alleged interference with the Esat mobile phone licence and also revealed he would battle to recoup his huge legal bills.

The former communications minister at the centre of the damning Moriarty Tribunal report will today return to the Dáil where he intends to defend his name. He dismissed calls for his resignation.

But as the fallout continues over the series of critical findings linking the Tipperary North TD to payments from businessman Denis O’Brien, Mr Lowry said he was not embarrassed. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, he said: “Any tribunal process is grossly unfair, the procedures involved in it, the intrusiveness of it, the length of them. I don’t believe anyone can get justice after 14 years, irrespective of how independent a chairman of a tribunal is.

“The people of Tipperary have voted for me on three consecutive elections in the full knowledge that this Moriarty Tribunal was ongoing.”

The former Fine Gael minister said he was facing substantial legal fees and intended to fight for his costs, despite an assertion by previous tribunals that witnesses with negative findings would not be reimbursed.

“There have been substantial legal fees involved. While [Judge] Moriarty was funding his legal team to the extent of approximately €54,000 a month per barrister, I had to compete with that as long as I could.”

Mr Lowry said he had used a legal team for 12 years during the course of the mobile phone licence inquiry and used a senior and junior counsel during most of that time.

“We’ll be making an application for costs and I would expect that the tribunal would grant our costs and I would be in a position then to pay my legal team.

“That [a rejection] is something that we would most definitely challenge.”

Mr Lowry rebuffed calls for his resignation. “People will take up positions that suit them politically. You will get political posturing.

“I will walk into the Dáil because I have a mandate democratically to represent the people of Tipperary.”

Mr Lowry also said he welcomed the tribunal report being handed to gardaí and the Director of Prosecutions (DPP).

“I have no difficulty whatsoever with the DPP examining those files because I’m absolutely satisfied that there is no evidence of wrongdoing by me or any of the civil servants involved in the licensing process.”