Michael Lowry won't face prosecution after Moriarty Tribunal
Michael Lowry will not face any prosecution as a result of the Moriarty Tribunal, with the controversial TD saying its findings were ‘always flawed’.
The Independent TD issued a statement last night confirming the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions that no prosecution would be brought forward.
Mr Lowry said: ‘I welcome the formal decision of the DPP that there will be no charges brought against me arising from the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal.’
Independent TD Michael Lowry. Pic: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
The Tipperary North TD said the tribunal report, which was issued in 2011, was not based on ‘hard facts or admissible evidence’, but instead on ‘conjecture, manipulation and speculation’.
‘Its findings have allowed me to be subjected to repeated insults, smears and false allegations, with no legal remedy available to me. Even though its findings are legally sterile, as the Supreme Court has pronounced, it has deprived me of any ability to defend myself from repeated character assassination and attacks on my reputation.’
Mr Lowry’s behaviour was previously criticised by the tribunal as ‘profoundly corrupt’. The Moriarty Tribunal was set up in 1997 to examine payments made to former Taoiseach Charles Haughey and to Mr Lowry.
Independent TD Michael Lowry. Pic: Gareth Chaney/RollingNews.ie
The tribunal found that Mr Lowry, a former Fine Gael TD, helped businessman Denis O’Brien secure the State’s second mobile phone licence in 1995, when Mr Lowry was minister for communications.
The tribunal’s report found it was ‘beyond doubt’ that Mr Lowry imparted substantive information to Mr O’Brien, which it said was ‘of significant value and assistance’ to the latter ‘in securing the licence’.
The report described Mr Lowry’s role as ‘disgraceful and insidious’. He has long rejected the findings of the tribunal and will see the move by the DPP as a huge vindication. The tribunal took 14 years from the start to its final report.
Independent TD Michael Lowry. Pic: Tom Honan
The full report was referred to An Garda Síochána for investigation. That inquiry took 13 years, and Mr Lowry said that the time and complexity of such an investigation is unprecedented.
He said: ‘I fully cooperated with the gardaí and voluntarily met them and answered all questions. After the gardaí finished their extensive investigation, a file was sent to the DPP in late 2024.
‘Now, 15 months later, the DPP, the State’s independent prosecutor, having fully and carefully reviewed the file, has issued a direction that there will be no prosecution of me.’
Mr Lowry said that despite what he described as the unfair and unfounded opinions of the Moriarty report, there were ‘no charges’ being brought against him arising from the award of the licence; no charge of corruption, or misfeasance in public office; and no charges of personal gain or bribery on his part.
‘I want to thank my family and friends for their resolute encouragement and kindness throughout many difficult years,’ he said. ‘I will be forever grateful to the people of Tipperary and North Kilkenny for the unwavering faith and trust they placed in me.’
Mr Lowry has previously criticised the media as being ‘over-consumed’ by the findings of the tribunal. He said the media was trying to ‘undermine’ the ‘very strong mandate’ he had received from the people of Tipperary and North Kilkenny at the general election.
He said in 2025: ‘You’ve been ranting for the last month in your publications. Let me say I enjoy the confidence of my group. I also enjoy the confidence of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste in the negotiations that I had.’
He added: ‘Unlike you, they respected the mandate that I have from the people.’
Mr Lowry led governmentformation talks on behalf of the Regional Independents and secured three junior ministries for Seán Canney, Noel Grealish and Marian Harkin.
He also helped negotiate the Ceann Comhairle position for Verona Murphy. He then controversially led Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole, the remaining members of the group, back into Opposition, which sparked extraordinary scenes at the beginning of the Dáil term, where Micheál Martin was unable to be elected as Taoiseach.
It ultimately led to the changing of standing orders and now sees Mr Lowry and other Government-supporting TDs being able to question the Taoiseach alongside Opposition figures.
During one particularly vociferous Dáil debate on changing standing orders last March, Mr Lowry was pictured giving a two-fingered salute to People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy.
He later apologised, saying that it was an ‘errant gesture under provocation’ and that no offence was meant by it.
Mr Martin had previously called on Mr Lowry to step down as a TD on foot of the findings of the tribunal, but ultimately turned to the latter for formal support after the last election.
A spokesman for An Garda Síochána said regarding the DPP’s decision: ‘We do not comment on named individuals or third-party statements. The office of the DPP has directed no prosecution in respect of this matter. An Garda Síochána will not be commenting further.’
