Lowry Defiant As Dail Passes Censure Motion

Independent TD and former Minister Michael Lowry says he has no intention of resigning his Dail seat, despite a motion of censure passed by all parties in the Dail.

The motion, agreed by parties without the need for a vote, described the conduct of Mr Lowry outlined in the Moriarty Tribunal report as "completely unacceptable", and called on him to voluntarily resign from the Dail.

The tribunal found that Mr Lowry secured the winning of the 1995 competition for Ireland's second mobile phone license for Denis O'Brien's Esat Digifone consortium.

It also found that Mr O'Brien made payments worth almost one million euro to Mr Lowry in the years after the license was awarded.

Both Mr O'Brien, who is one of Ireland's richest men, and Mr Lowry have rejected the tribunal's findings.

The Criminal Assets Bureau wing of the Gardai, which investigates the proceeds of crime, is now investigating Mr Lowry to see if there are any grounds for a criminal prosecution arising from the payments.

Mr Lowry came under intense pressure to resign from his fellow TDs, but fought back during a two day debate at Leinster House.

"I am not a criminal," he said, "This report is seriously flawed and not grounded in evidence. This report does me and the civil servants involved an extraordinary injustice."

"How long more am I expected to withstand this kind of scrutiny?"

He also hit back at the opposition parties, Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein, for their continued pressure on him to resign.

He accused Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin of trying to portray a "clean-cut Steve Silvermint image" since he was appointed Fianna Fail leader.

He said it wouldn't be long "for the wraps to come off."

He then turned on Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald, saying he would not be lectured by any party that had been associated with "atrocities, mutilations and murder on civilians and unarmed Gardai."

He said her "natural sense of justice makes me want to retch."

The stubborn refusal to resign by Mr Lowry is an embarrassment for the new government, who are powerless to force him out.

"This House doesn't have the constitutional authority to deny anybody access here if they are elected by an electorate from whatever part of the country," Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dail during its debate on the issue.

When he was criticized by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, the Taoiseach responded by pointing out that the previous government had depended on Mr Lowry's support to stay in power.

"You sat on these benches, you travelled the world on behalf of the country, simply because Deputy Lowry and others had secret deals with you that you refused to publish," Mr Kenny said.

Mr Lowry remains as popular as ever in his own constituency where his supporters have rallied to his cause, and accused the tribunal of a witch hunt.

There are now fears among residents of the Co. Offaly village of Moneygall that the disgraced politician may be allowed to meet US president Barack Obama when he visits Ireland next month.

Since constituency boundaries were redrawn last year, the village has been represented Tipperary North TDs.

One of them is Michael Lowry, and as such he is likely to be guaranteed an invite to the prestigious event.

"I will be there as one of the democratically elected representatives in the constituency and I'm looking forward to the visit," Mr Lowry said last week, adding that the he hoped to discuss plans for a super-casino in Tipperary with the US president.