Lowry Confirms Dispute Over Award Of Legal Costs For Moriarty Tribunal Resolved

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Independent Tipperary TD Michael Lowry says a long-running dispute over the award of his legal costs related to the Moriarty Tribunal has been resolved.

The tribunal was established in 1997 to examine issues related to the financial affairs of Mr Lowry and former Taoiseach Charles Haughey.

In 2018, Mr Lowry successfully appealed against the tribunal’s original decision to not award him two thirds of the €2.87 million costs of his legal representation.

The Tribunal was initially set to only allow Mr Lowry one third of his costs on what it ruled as his failure to fully co-operate with the work of the tribunal.  The Court of Appeal found a lack of transparency in that decision and referred the issue of costs back to the tribunal for reconsideration.

Deputy Lowry is critical of the delay in settling the issue, but says he was pleased with the final resolution of the cost of his legal representatives said to be €2.87 million euros

The Moriarty Tribunal Report was published in 2011 and the then Government led by Taoiseach Enda Kenny asked An Garda Siochana to examine issues arising from the report with a view to establishing whether or not any criminal offences meriting investigation are disclosed. Garda say this investigation is ongoing.

The total cost of the Moriarty Tribunal is thought to be approximately €150 million.  The Government is in the process of updating Ethics in Public Office legislation as was committed to in the Programme for Government which may include some of the recommendations from the Moriarty Report.