Tipperary North TD Michael Lowry, the Convenor of the seven member Regional Independent Dáil Group of TDs, says he is surprised to learn that a file has been sent by An Garda Siochana to the Director of Public Prosecutions arising from findings of the Moriarty Tribunal.
Garda have been reviewing the report since 2011 to determine if any criminal charges should be brought following the tribunal’s investigation of payments to politicians including the late Charles Haughey and Michael Lowry and the relationship between Michael Lowry and businessman Denis O’Brien.
The North Tipperary TD says that he met with investigating Garda last year and that this was the only engagement or correspondence he had with the Gardaí over the fourteen years since the report was published. Deputy Lowry says that at no point was it indicated that any charges were being contemplated against him and remains fully confident that there is no basis for any liability attaching to him.
Deputy Lowry is centrally involved in Government formation talks at present involving the Regional Independent Group of TDS, Fianna Fail and his former party Fine Gael. The Moriarty Tribunal which is expected to cost taxpayers over €70M found that Deputy Lowry had shared information with Mr O’Brien that benefited him in securing a mobile phone licence issued in 1995.
