Lawyers: Tribunal facts are an 'inconvenient truth'

Lawyers for the Department of Communications have called on the Chairman of the Moriarty Tribunal to admit he mis-represented the facts surrounding the issuing of the mobile phone licence to ESAT Digifone in a ruling two years ago.

Senior Counsel John O'Donnell told Mr Justice Michael Moriarty this morning that the facts are "an inconvenient truth" for the inquiry, as they destroy their eight-year-old legal hypothesis that there was something illegal about the issuing of the licence.

Meanwhile the Tribunal Chairman's insisted he will not be distracted by "side-shows" and will make his report based clearly on evidence.