Lowry stands firm in face of Dáil censure

Michael Lowry faces a cross-party Dáil motion formally condemning him today, but the brazen TD has again refused to resign his seat.

Michael Lowry faces a cross-party Dáil motion formally condemning him today, but the TD has again refused to resign his seat.

The poll-topping Independent cannot be forced to quit despite the censure motion urging him to step down over the damning findings of the Moriarty Tribunal.

Mr Lowry said he would not call for a vote on the motion but stressed he would remain in the Dáil for as long as his North Tipperary constituents wanted him.

"The House is free to pass the motion, but I want to advise this House that I have no intention of resigning my position as a democratically elected representative of this House," he said.

"I will not walk away from the overwhelming mandate that was given to me by the constituents of North Tipperary and South Offaly."

The motion, agreed between the party whips, is understood to call on Mr Lowry to voluntarily resign his seat.

At the close of a two-day Dail debate on the hard-hitting report, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the motion would be laid before the Dáil this morning, but without debate among TDs.

A vote is not expected to be held.

The tribunal found Mr Lowry passed classified information on the competition for the state's second mobile phone licence to billionaire businessman Denis O'Brien.

Mr O'Brien's successful bid made him his fortune and Mr Lowry, who has repeatedly rejected the conclusions, was found to have received payments worth more than £800,000 (€910,450) in secret off-shore transactions and loans.