Michael Lowry
Encyclopedia
Michael Lowry is an Irish
politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Tipperary North constituency and continues to enjoy high popularity in his constituency despite being the subject of a criminal investigation resulting from various scandals while in office.
in the early 1980s as the youngest ever Chairman of the Tipperary County Committee. Later, as chairman of the Semple Stadium
Development Committee, he was largely instrumental in raising the necessary funds for the refurbishment of the Stadium in preparation for the All-Ireland Centenary Hurling final in 1984.
as a Fine Gael
TD for Tipperary North at the 1987 general election
and in 1993 he became Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party.
in the Rainbow Coalition government.
related to the granting of a mobile phone licence to Esat Telecom
which was later investigated by the Moriarty Tribunal
, plans for the Dublin Light Rail System
and the closure of rural post offices. At the 1997 McCracken Tribunal it was revealed that supermarket tycoon Ben Dunne had paid IR£395,000 for an extension to Lowry's home in Tipperary. The Tribunal concluded that Lowry had evaded tax.
This allegation prompted Lowry's resignation from the Cabinet in November 1996. Taoiseach John Bruton
announced that Lowry would not be allowed stand as a Fine Gael candidate at the next election and he resigned from the party.
. He topped the poll in his constituency in that election and did so again in the 2002
and 2007 general elections.
which sat from 1997 to 2011. In early 2007, Lowry announced that he had made a full and final settlement of all outstanding payments with the Revenue Commissioners in response to the findings concerning his tax evasion. His company Garuda had to pay up €1.2 million after a Revenue audit. He also paid almost €200,000 to settle his personal taxes.
In March 2011 the second and final report from the Moriarty Tribunal
found that, during his time as Communications Minister, Michael Lowry assisted businessman Denis O'Brien
's consortium Esat Digiphone in acquiring a lucrative mobile phone licence in the mid-90s which ultimately made O'Brien one of the richest men in Ireland.
It concluded that it is 'beyond doubt' that Lowry gave what it termed 'substantive information to Denis O'Brien, of significant value and assistance to him in securing the licence'. The Tribunal report found that Lowry, displayed 'an appreciable interest' in the process and had 'irregular interactions with interested parties at its most sensitive stages'. It also found that one of Lowry's interventions, which cut the selection process to the advantage of Esat, was 'disgraceful' and 'insidious', and that he had misled the Government, his party leader John Bruton
and his own civil servants to influence the selection process in Esat's favour.
The tribunal also found that Lowry sought to procure unwarranted rent increases that over a seven-year period would have benefited businessman Ben Dunne. Lowry sought to influence the outcome of an arbitration being conducted in 1995 in relation to the rent payable by the then state-owned Telecom Éireann
for Marlborough House to a company owned and controlled by Dunne. The report said that the matter was 'profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking'.
The report also summarised the cumulative payments made to Lowry and says 'In aggregating the known payments from Mr Denis O'Brien to Mr Michael Lowry, it is apposite to note that, between the granting of the second GSM licence to Esat Digiphone in May 1996, and the transmission of £420,000 sterling to complete the purchase of the latter of Mr Lowry's English properties in December 1999, Mr O'Brien had made or facilitated payments to Mr Lowry of £147,000 sterling, £300,000 sterling and a benefit equivalent to a payment in the form of Mr O'Brien's support for a loan of £420,000 sterling.'
Lowry had addressed the Dáil saying that if he had been trying to hide a lot of money he would have “put it in an offshore account”, implying that no such account existed. The Tribunal found that he actually had at least four such accounts that he used for the purpose of evading tax and had not disclosed these accounts to the previous McCracken Tribunal.
and the Bureau of Fraud were called in on 29 March 2011 to begin investigating his finances since his €1.4m settlement with the revenue commissioners did not grant him immunity from prosecution.
On 31 March 2011, an all party motion was passed in the Dáil calling on Lowry to voluntarily resign his seat in light of the publication of the Moriarty Report
.
, 2 Town Councillors in Thurles and 1 Town Councillor in Templemore
.
Lowry was re-elected to represent Tipperary North at the 2011 general election, heading the poll on the 1st count with 14,010 votes. Along with Michael Healy Rae and Noel Grealish, he is not a member of the Dáil Technical Group
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Tipperary North constituency and continues to enjoy high popularity in his constituency despite being the subject of a criminal investigation resulting from various scandals while in office.
Local government and community work
Lowry was elected to Tipperary North Riding County Council in 1979. He was an administrator in the Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
in the early 1980s as the youngest ever Chairman of the Tipperary County Committee. Later, as chairman of the Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....
Development Committee, he was largely instrumental in raising the necessary funds for the refurbishment of the Stadium in preparation for the All-Ireland Centenary Hurling final in 1984.
Dáil Éireann
He was first elected to Dáil ÉireannDáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
as a Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
TD for Tipperary North at the 1987 general election
Irish general election, 1987
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in...
and in 1993 he became Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party.
Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications
In 1994 he was appointed Minister for Transport, Energy and CommunicationsMinister for Transport (Ireland)
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is the senior minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is Leo Varadkar, TD...
in the Rainbow Coalition government.
Controversies
A succession of controversies broke during his period of office. These included allegations of irregularitiesEsat Digifone licence controversy
It is alleged that as a result benefits extended to Michael Lowry by Denis O'Brien that Esat Digifone was given an unfair advantage in the procurement of a mobile phone operator's licence....
related to the granting of a mobile phone licence to Esat Telecom
BT Ireland
BT Communications Limited is a telecommunications and internet company in Ireland. It is a subsidiary of BT Group plc.-Esat Telecom:The company was founded in 1990 by Denis O'Brien, and was originally known as Esat Telecom...
which was later investigated by the Moriarty Tribunal
Moriarty Tribunal
The Tribunal of Inquiry into certain Payments to Politicians and Related Matters was an Irish Public inquiry established in 1997 into the financial affairs of politicians Charles Haughey and Michael Lowry. It has revealed significant tax evasion by these and other politicians and leading...
, plans for the Dublin Light Rail System
Luas
Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...
and the closure of rural post offices. At the 1997 McCracken Tribunal it was revealed that supermarket tycoon Ben Dunne had paid IR£395,000 for an extension to Lowry's home in Tipperary. The Tribunal concluded that Lowry had evaded tax.
This allegation prompted Lowry's resignation from the Cabinet in November 1996. Taoiseach John Bruton
John Bruton
John Gerard Bruton is an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. A minister under two taoisigh, Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Bruton held a number of the top posts in Irish government, including Minister for Finance , and Minister for Industry, Trade,...
announced that Lowry would not be allowed stand as a Fine Gael candidate at the next election and he resigned from the party.
Resignation and career as independent TD
Lowry announced that he would stand as an independent candidate in the 1997Irish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
. He topped the poll in his constituency in that election and did so again in the 2002
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
and 2007 general elections.
Investigation by Moriarty Tribunal
The investigation of payments to Lowry is one of the remits of the Moriarty TribunalMoriarty Tribunal
The Tribunal of Inquiry into certain Payments to Politicians and Related Matters was an Irish Public inquiry established in 1997 into the financial affairs of politicians Charles Haughey and Michael Lowry. It has revealed significant tax evasion by these and other politicians and leading...
which sat from 1997 to 2011. In early 2007, Lowry announced that he had made a full and final settlement of all outstanding payments with the Revenue Commissioners in response to the findings concerning his tax evasion. His company Garuda had to pay up €1.2 million after a Revenue audit. He also paid almost €200,000 to settle his personal taxes.
In March 2011 the second and final report from the Moriarty Tribunal
Moriarty Tribunal
The Tribunal of Inquiry into certain Payments to Politicians and Related Matters was an Irish Public inquiry established in 1997 into the financial affairs of politicians Charles Haughey and Michael Lowry. It has revealed significant tax evasion by these and other politicians and leading...
found that, during his time as Communications Minister, Michael Lowry assisted businessman Denis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien is an Irish businessman with international connections. An Arts graduate of University College Dublin, O'Brien has received a MBA in corporate finance from Boston College in 1982, and was later given an honorary doctorate by University College Dublin.O'Brien has involvement with...
's consortium Esat Digiphone in acquiring a lucrative mobile phone licence in the mid-90s which ultimately made O'Brien one of the richest men in Ireland.
It concluded that it is 'beyond doubt' that Lowry gave what it termed 'substantive information to Denis O'Brien, of significant value and assistance to him in securing the licence'. The Tribunal report found that Lowry, displayed 'an appreciable interest' in the process and had 'irregular interactions with interested parties at its most sensitive stages'. It also found that one of Lowry's interventions, which cut the selection process to the advantage of Esat, was 'disgraceful' and 'insidious', and that he had misled the Government, his party leader John Bruton
John Bruton
John Gerard Bruton is an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. A minister under two taoisigh, Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Bruton held a number of the top posts in Irish government, including Minister for Finance , and Minister for Industry, Trade,...
and his own civil servants to influence the selection process in Esat's favour.
The tribunal also found that Lowry sought to procure unwarranted rent increases that over a seven-year period would have benefited businessman Ben Dunne. Lowry sought to influence the outcome of an arbitration being conducted in 1995 in relation to the rent payable by the then state-owned Telecom Éireann
Telecom Éireann
Telecom Éireann, or formally Bord Telecom Éireann - The Irish Telecommunications Board, was created by the Postal & Telecommunications Services Act, 1983 from the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, Ireland, under the leadership of the Minister for Posts & Telegraphs...
for Marlborough House to a company owned and controlled by Dunne. The report said that the matter was 'profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking'.
The report also summarised the cumulative payments made to Lowry and says 'In aggregating the known payments from Mr Denis O'Brien to Mr Michael Lowry, it is apposite to note that, between the granting of the second GSM licence to Esat Digiphone in May 1996, and the transmission of £420,000 sterling to complete the purchase of the latter of Mr Lowry's English properties in December 1999, Mr O'Brien had made or facilitated payments to Mr Lowry of £147,000 sterling, £300,000 sterling and a benefit equivalent to a payment in the form of Mr O'Brien's support for a loan of £420,000 sterling.'
Lowry had addressed the Dáil saying that if he had been trying to hide a lot of money he would have “put it in an offshore account”, implying that no such account existed. The Tribunal found that he actually had at least four such accounts that he used for the purpose of evading tax and had not disclosed these accounts to the previous McCracken Tribunal.
Aftermath of allegations
Lowry rejected the Moriarty report saying that it was flawed, saying that the assumptions and the conclusions that Justice Moriarty arrived at are totally baseless. Nonetheless, the Criminal Assets BureauCriminal Assets Bureau
The Criminal Assets Bureau is a law enforcement agency in Ireland, the purpose of which is to recover the proceeds of organised crime. It is a division of the Garda , but reports annually to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform...
and the Bureau of Fraud were called in on 29 March 2011 to begin investigating his finances since his €1.4m settlement with the revenue commissioners did not grant him immunity from prosecution.
On 31 March 2011, an all party motion was passed in the Dáil calling on Lowry to voluntarily resign his seat in light of the publication of the Moriarty Report
Moriarty Tribunal
The Tribunal of Inquiry into certain Payments to Politicians and Related Matters was an Irish Public inquiry established in 1997 into the financial affairs of politicians Charles Haughey and Michael Lowry. It has revealed significant tax evasion by these and other politicians and leading...
.
Continued popularity
Lowry is backed by a strong local organisation in Tipperary known informally as "Team Lowry" which consists of 4 County Councillors in North TipperaryNorth Tipperary
North Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-West Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 48% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...
, 2 Town Councillors in Thurles and 1 Town Councillor in Templemore
Templemore
Templemore is a town in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the Roman Catholic parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea....
.
Lowry was re-elected to represent Tipperary North at the 2011 general election, heading the poll on the 1st count with 14,010 votes. Along with Michael Healy Rae and Noel Grealish, he is not a member of the Dáil Technical Group
Technical Group
In Irish politics, a technical group is a parliamentary group of Teachtaí Dála who associate to increase their speaking rights in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas.-Origin and policy:...
.