Lowry-Hogan fallout - Ministers should heed warnings

In Mar 2011 the Moriarty Report concluded that as a minister, Michael Lowry received a payment of £447,000 from businessman Denis O’Brien and then helped him to win a state mobile phone licence.

According to the findings of the tribunal Mr Lowry had an “insidious and pervasive” influence on the licence competition. He had imparted “substantive information” that helped the businessman’s Esat consortium to win the bid.

Within a week of the publication of this report Phil Hogan, the environment minister, granted Mr Lowry access to department officials and provided him and the representatives of Filmco — which recycles farm waste plastics — with what turned out to be the longest meeting granted to any TD or senator during his first year in office.