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INDEPENDENT TD MICHAEL Lowry has now declared land in Wigan in the UK which he is a part owner of, after previously failing to add it to his declaration of interests.
His change of mind came after 83 complaints were received from members of the public by the Clerk of the Dáil.
Last Sunday, the columnist Elaine Byrne wrote a piece in the Sunday Independent in which she outlined how members of the public could lodge a complaint against the TD.
In a statement issued yesterday, Lowry said:
I wish to confirm that I have today Tuesday 6th November amended my Register of Dáil Interests to include land of negligible value held in partnership at Wigan. While under no obligation to do so I have made this entry in response to wildly inaccurate speculation regarding its value.
When speaking to Tipp FM a week ago, he had said that “the reality is that piece of land has sat still there for the last 11 years ” and believed that it was without value.
A spokesperson from the Oireachtas outlined to TheJournal.ie the steps that would now be taken in response to the complaints received:
83 complaints have been received by the Clerk of the Dáil regarding land owned by Deputy Michael Lowry. By way of background information you should note that the Clerk of the Dáil is the first port of call for complaints from persons (other than Members) about non-compliance with the Ethics Act.
The relevant section of the Ethics Act 1995 and 2001 namely Section 8(2) states “a person … who considers that a member … may have contravened sections five or seven or done a specified act may make a complaint … to the Clerk … “.
Under the same section, a complaint is referred to the Members’ Interests Committee of Dáil Éireann unless the Clerk forms the opinion that the complaint is frivolous or vexatious or that there is “not sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case in relation to the complaint”.
If the complaint is rejected the Clerk is obliged to send the complainant, the member concerned and the Committee a statement of the reasons for so doing.
His interest in the land, and its potential value, came to light after an investigation by Conor Ryan of the Irish Examiner.
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Brilliant! Just goes to show even a small protest can make a difference.
Thanks to the 83 who sent in these letters and I am rightly ashamed that I wasn’t one of them.
You can still send one, I’m sending one this evening.
its not exactly a huge surprise that Lowry was caught off side again. It wont stop the idiots in his constituency voting him in again
And that really is one of the scariest things when you think about it – time and time again, proved to dishonest, yet consistently tops the polls in his area – very, very scary that this continues to happen.
Local Politics ha, who knew it’d be a bad thing?
He built the roads.
Savage eye :-)
If the land has no value then why hold on to it? Why not give it to some charity who might find some use for it?
I am sick to death of the corruption that comes to light every day in this country!
He could always sign it over to me – I’d be more than happy to take this worthless patch of soil off his hands…
if the land was worthless
WHY did he buy it in the first place ??
if he didnt buy it just HOW much was paid for it
and if no money changed hands by WHAT means DID he secure it??
and finaly if in any doubt about the need to register his interest in the land surely the was a well paid legal advisor there he could have consulted regarding the matter
these are the questions that need answers
Egg on his chin yet again ..
No Aisling..not egg… thats just the brass reflecting up off his neck.
more dirt!”
we constantly complain about our government and corruption yet we vote the likes of him in?? No one to blame but ourselves
False collective there, Graham…less with the ‘we’ as a singularity. Sloppy thinking.
Its like saying ‘we’re all in it together’ when we(many of us) know some are more in it than others.
Keep sending your official letters of complaint to the Dáil Clerk.
The Committee of Members Interests still have the power to initiate an investigation on any breaches of ethics rules – the land was not disclosed for nine years. Regardless of now putting the land on the Register – an investigation would decide if ethics rules were broken – and what else is not disclosed.
Here’s how to complain – http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/stop-giving-out-about-lowry-and-make-an-official-complaint-instead-3281694.html
Well done to Irish Examiner’s Conor Ryan for doing all the running on this.
Another investigation into Lowry. And it will end like all other investigation. With Nothing been Done. Pointless PR excercise.
Land usually sits still, Mr. Lowry. Just as well, really, because if it moved, could you possibly try to claim expenses for it?
There’s a thought..how long before some imaginative TD puts in for expenses for his yearly orbit of the sun?
Surely, Damien, someone like Lowry believes the sun revolves around him!
He probably thinks the sunlight is just a dim reflection of his own glow of pre-eminence.
Because he’s worth it.
And let us not forget Ben there, Dunne that, and bought the Taoiseach.
Actually the closest these ghouls get to the Sun is Rupert’s .
Generations have sacrificed and died for this country and Fine Gael spoiled brats have just flushed it all down the toilet. You deserve what you are about to bring on yourselves when all the taxes kick in early next year now that they can count on their good buddy to get corrupt “deals”. Reminiscent of Fianna Fail.
Is there a code of conduct each TD signs up to when elected?
Yep…hang on to that seat and pass it on in the family.
Mmmmm!!! Well that ‘worthless’ land must be a terrible source of worry to him! If it is of no value I challenge him to hand it over to me!
If there’s one slime ball I can’t stand, it is him! Michael Lowry is the most devious fu€ker ever to enter Irish Politics. The reason why Tipp people kept re-electing him is because he had the previous government by the balls so he could negotiate his cunning deals for his constituents.
What a shameful devious little Irish man this is. Hang your head in shame Lowry
he should resign
Shifty stroke puller admired for cuteness and cunning. No different to many others in irish politics. People in his constituency can see the stuff of which irish politics is made and see no real difference.
An agent handling Michael Lowry’s “worthless” property investment in England said a buyer would do well to acquire it for less than €6.7m.
Without value eh?
Michael, what say we take if off your hands for €10,000?
This man caused most of our problems. He brought our corruption to another level and this is a perfect example of politicians and developers destroying our country. Bertie and lowery etc openly lobbied the banks for less regulation to free up money to give to their pals and now we are watching the death of a nation slowly loosing their families to emigration. .
A British politicos can was thrown out of her party for appearing on a tv show yet our guys can destroy lives and award themselves huge pensions.
If Lowery was caught shooting our president live on TV he would get reelected next time.
How did he acquire the land in the first place?
What is it with the constant witch hunt over Michael Lowry as one of his constituents the work he does for the public goes unnoticed as far as I am concerned he is one of the better representatives we have elected look at the fools that destroyed this country and they are laughing and nothing been said about them why can’t we go after those who ruined the country I.e Sean Fitzpatrick and the quinns
u want cop yourself on dave making statements like that..he’s a disgrace in the same league as Bertie the destroyer..
You are aware that there are proceeding in the Irish courts about the granting of the mobile license to O’Brien? Proceedings taken by the competition who did not win the license? Consider this if their complaint is upheld and they claim damages then your local rep will cost the tax payers of Ireland quite a considerable sum. If Lowry wanted to look after his local pop he should have sat on the Co. Council and stayed away from National politics.
Troll?
@Kerry
If there were a shred of justice O’Brien would pay that compo. And Lowry would be in gaol by now. Sharpen the guillotine.
@David OGorman
hes the exact same as fitzpatrick you muppet!
If someone had been camping on the land all along and stayed for one more year, couldn’t they claim squatter’s rights?
Jesus that lowery makes my blood boil. Crook and a proven crook. Yet the tipp people love him. Maybe that says a lot about tipp people????????
He could resign, but it’s very hard to nTip a Rary!
Funny how he always tops the polls though regardless of what he has done he is still the best representative in the constituency
So despite the fact that he’s rotten to the core, he sorts out your medical card (a myth, by the way! You get it if you’re entitled to it, irrespective of what a TD says.) and the pothole at the end of your road, you give him a vote?
Would you vote for a drug dealer? A Bank robber? A diesel washer? Or is it only a special type of law breaker you prefer in Tipperary?
David, what is your attitude towards Sean Quinn? Am genuinely interested to know. And I’ll explain why should you answer.
not really when morons like you vote for him
The reason he topped the last poll David, is because he was supposedly going to bring the casino to TwoMileBorris!!! i know of many back home that I had to explain to, that he could not singlehandedly get this license for this casino to be passed
If people want to complain then do so. He gets voted in because he has been one of the two most powerful men in the Dáil since he became an independent.
Think we have more problems in the country than this.
Negligible value? Get one of the local estate agents/auctioneers to value the site. Probably cost around €200 or so. How about it, Irish Times/Indo/Examiner?
An attempt to alter the theory of relativity so that :n£6.35 million = ‘negligible’
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