Lowry accuses Moriarty probe of paranoia

A DEFIANT Michael Lowry refused to be forced from the Dáil as he launched a brazen attack on the “paranoia” of the Moriarty Tribunal.

The disgraced Tipperary North TD moved to salvage his tattered reputation ahead of a two-day Dáil examination of the findings of the 14-year probe into the awarding of the mobile phone licence to Esat.

As gardaí announced they found no evidence of phone tapping at the inquiry’s Dublin Castle headquarters, Mr Lowry insisted a “bunker mentality” had gripped the tribunal.

“This is another far- fetched suspicion of the tribunal and I wasn’t a bit surprised today when I found it was unfounded.

“They obviously are suffering from some sort of bunker mentality and have a bit of paranoia. When I heard the idea, I said what would anybody gain from attempting to hack into the chairman’s telephone?”

Gardaí yesterday said they found no evidence of interference with phones following a sweep for tapping devices and a check of equipment at the tribunal offices.

Meanwhile, Mr Lowry last night won his fight for more time in the Dáil showdown after being originally granted 30 minutes by the government whip. Instead, he will be given 40 minutes speaking time, followed by 10 to 15 minutes to respond after the debate.

“I’m not looking for hours. I’m talking about minutes,” he said, adding that any calls by party leaders for his resignation would not bother him.

“Michael Lowry is not going anywhere. I’m democratically elected, I’ll see out my term in the Dáil and the likelihood is that I’ll contest the next general election,” he said.

Ahead of today’s debate, the TD said he was ready to subject himself to “rigorous questioning” and expected “loads of condemnation”.

Fianna Fáil and Independents also demanded that Taoiseach Enda Kenny take questions during the debate, rather than Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte.

Fianna Fáil said Mr Kenny, who was a Cabinet member at the time of the Esat mobile phone licence award, had gone back on an earlier pledge that he was open to questioning on the matter.

Mr Kenny is under pressure from the opposition to explain the circumstances surrounding a $50,000 donation to Fine Gael from the winners of the licence just two months after it was awarded in 1995.

The money was eventually returned by Fine Gael, but Mr Justice Moriarty strongly criticised how the money had been channelled to Fine Gael and the fact that no one from the party had mentioned its existence to the inquiry until the media broke the story in 2001.

Meanwhile, Mr Lowry said he wanted to meet US President Barack Obama when he travels to his ancestral home of Moneygall, a village in Offaly, which is in the TD’s North Tipperary constituency. “Of course, I’ll say hello during the course of that visit when he attends a function in my constituency,” said Mr Lowry.