INDEPENDENT TD MICHAEL Lowry, who has been dubbed a ‘king-maker’ in government formation talks, has hit out at the media and walked away from a press conference in response to questions about the Moriarty Tribunal.
Lowry was speaking to reporters on the plinth of Leinster House this afternoon about how the Regional Group of Independents have fared in government formation talks.
Flanked by the six other TDs in the technical group, Lowry was asked about the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal and if he will not engage in the behavior that landed him before the tribunal over twenty years ago.
“If it doesn’t please some of you, that’s your problem” - Michael Lowry’s response when asked about the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal and his previous controversies.
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In 2011, the Moriarty Tribunal found that Lowry had an “insidious and pervasive influence” on the bidding process for the second mobile phone licence in Ireland when he was a minister in the 1990s.
The licence was granted to the Denis O’Brien-owned Esat Telecom in 1995. The tribunal found that O’Brien made or facilitated payments of hundreds of thousands of sterling to Lowry. Lowry and O’Brien have both rejected the findings.
In response to the question today, Lowry said:
“The media have been over consumed with this and for the past month have been trying to undermine my position.
“You’ve also tried to undermine the mandate that I’ve got, the very strong mandate that I’ve got from the people are Tipperary and North Kilkenny.
“You’ve been ranting for the past month in your publications.
“Let me say that I enjoy the confidence of my group, and I also enjoy the confidence of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste in the negotiations I had, because unlike you they’ve respected the mandate that I have from the people.”
Noel Grealish interjected at this point to jump to Lowry’s defence, stating Lowry did an “excellent” job at representing their group in talks.
Lowry then stated again that he has received a mandate and added: “Unfortunately if it doesn’t please some of you, that is your problem.”
Following this Lowry turned from the microphones and retreated into Leinster House with his Regional Independent colleagues following behind him as questions continued to be shouted at the group.
Lowry will not have a ministerial position in the next government.
Two members of the Regional Independets, Seán Canney and Noel Grealish will take two super junior minister roles in the next government.
Super junior ministers are Ministers of State that attend weekly cabinet meetings with other full ministers.
Additionally, Lowry confirmed that Canney will attend weekly meetings with government leaders, Micheál Martin of Fianna Fáil and Simon Harris of Fine Gael.
The eight members of the Regional Independents Group are: Michael Lowry, Sean Canney, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Noel Grealish, Marian Harkin, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole.
Verona Murphy, who is now Ceann Comhairle, was also a member of the group before her elevation to the position.
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