MICHAEL LOWRY IS to appeal a High Court ruling that the Moriarty Tribunal was right to only award him a third of his legal costs.

In a statement issued this evening, Lowry said he was disappointed with today’s judgement and said his legal team had advised him to appeal “on a number of substantive grounds”.

The independent TD for Tipperary had challenged the original costs ruling on the grounds that his bill would run to millions of euro and would have “lifelong consequences” for him.

In 2013 the tribunal, which made adverse findings against Lowry, made an order that he must pay two thirds of the legal costs incurred during the course of proceedings, which lasted 14 years.

The former Fine Gael minister has rejected the main findings of the tribunal, which said he had an “insidious and pervasive influence” on the bidding process for the State’s second mobile phone licence in the mid-90s.

The licence was awarded to Denis O’Brien’s Esat Digifone. The businessman has also rejected the tribunal’s findings.

In his statement, Lowry reiterated that he had “never accepted the findings” of the tribunal “as they were not grounded on any evidence or facts presented throughout the length of its sittings”.

He also criticised the remarks of Justice John Hedigan in his ruling today, saying it was “very concerning” that the judgement “erroneously claims that the tribunal had made a finding that I had been engaged in bribery and perjury”.

The tribunal never made and could not have made any such finding and it is a matter of gravest concern that such a damaging claim has been made.

“In fact the tribunal itself in its very submissions in this case accepted that no such findings were made or could have been made. This is an issue which will be subject to a vigourous challenge in the appellate court.”

He said his legal team are confident that the Court of Appeal will acknowledge and recognise that he cooperated with the Moriarty Tribunal.

He added that he is confident the appellate court will also find that it is “unfair and unconstitutional to deprive any person” of their costs when they have dealt with such inquiries.

Read: Who is Michael Lowry and what’s everyone’s problem with him?