We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
AS PART OF our GE16 FactCheck series, we’re testing the truth of claims made by candidates and parties on the campaign trail.
If you hear something that doesn’t sound quite right, or see a claim that looks great, but you want to confirm it, email factcheck@thejournal.ie.
For this instalment, we’ve tested an interesting claim made during an intense TV debate earlier this week.
Claim: Enda Kenny once called Michael Lowry “a man of the highest integrity and honour” – Shane Ross
Verdict: TRUE
What was said:
During a discussion on Wednesday’s RTE’s Prime Time about the Taoiseach’s refusal to rule out accepting or seeking the support of Michael Lowry in forming a government, Ross challenged Fitzgerald:
Does [Fitzgerald] stand behind Enda Kenny’s statement in the Dáil, in 1997, after Mr Lowry resigned, that he was “a man of the highest integrity and honour”?
Fitzgerald did not answer that particular question.
On Friday, the Taoiseach definitively ruled out accepting Lowry’s support in forming a government, saying “I will not have any dealings with Michael Lowry, or any other independent.”
The facts:
Kenny spoke during a 3 December 1996 Dáil debate (not 1997, as stated by Ross), on the nomination of Alan Dukes as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications.
This was following the resignation of Lowry amid scandal over the awarding of the first mobile phone license to Denis O’Brien’s ESAT Digiphone.
Kenny, then Minister for Tourism, stated:
You can read Kenny’s full contribution, and the entire debate, here.
On the same programme, Shane Ross was himself the subject of a very specific claim, which he disputed.
Claim: Shane Ross tweeted ‘Viva Syriza’ a few months ago – Frances Fitzgerald
Verdict: TRUE, but gets one detail wrong.
During Prime Time on Wednesday night, Fitzgerald told the Independent TD:
On the other hand, Shane, you did tweet ‘Viva Syriza’ just a few months ago, and you were a cheerleader for the sort of economic policies that we saw.
Ross responded, “That’s complete nonsense, the minister is wrong about part of that.”
The facts:
Shane Ross did indeed tweet “Viva Siriza”, and “Go Syriza” on two occasions in the week before Greek elections in January 2015 (not “a few months ago”, as claimed by Fitzgerald.”)
In the first instance, he criticised IMF managing director Christine Lagarde for comments she made during a trip to Dublin:
Shane Ross / TwitterChristine LaGarde painfully patronises Dublin today. ImF boss pats irish people on heads for takingpain. Go home forgive debt. Viva Siriza!
— Shane Ross (@Ross_Shane1) January 19, 2015
And in the second instance, he stated that an election win for Syriza would be “good for Ireland but bad for Enda.”
Shane Ross / TwitterTomorrow's Sindo column: why victory for Syriza in tomorrow's election in Greece would be good for Ireland but bad for Enda. Go Syriza!
— Shane Ross (@Ross_Shane1) January 24, 2015
He was promoting his Sunday Independent column the next day, the date of the Greek legislative elections, in which he wrote:
Enda must be praying that a miracle saves him…If Syriza wins, it may spell trouble for Europe – but it could herald a domestic crisis for Enda…
If a “red cent” of Greek debt is written off by Greece’s European creditors, Enda will look like a patsy. Greece will have succeeded where Ireland failed.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
If Lowry was a bondholder Kenny would have bailed him first.
Highest integrity and honour? In politics in Ireland hahaha
Let’s be honest.
The bench isn’t that high in politics.
.
But, hey, he fixed my road.
Bart Ahern also said something similar about Ray Burke-even though he was on his way to jail for bribery/corruption.
“Stand by your man”
They are all a Mafia.
The word integrity has never been so abused.
They try to turn the truth on it’s head
If anyone here thinks that Mike ” Bad Boys ” Lowry wont get the good of the nation call from aul budzer Kenny if he’s stuck then that pot your own is superstrength and should be passed around for DA Craic. :)
bertie went up every tree in Dublin looking for evidence on Burke and said he couldn’t find any gangsters everyone of them.
The fact Kenny said this about Lowry after what happened .This was following the resignation of Lowry amid scandal over the awarding of the first mobile phone license to Denis O’Brien’s ESAT Digiphone. Says it all.
Well I suppose this explains it.http://www.irishtimes.com/news/fg-man-arranged-o-brien-s-meetings-with-ministers-1.1105090
baron adams called slab a ‘good republican’ after it was known he was a tax cheat…. your point is?
Neither of those were in government. Your point is?
Lowry has claimed that Enda has in fact left the door open for negotiations. The Independent website reports the story. He’s in, he’s out, he’s back in?
Deceitful.
Tommy nothing to say on the actual article? Deflection is mighty.
So is that the barometer Littleone? If you’re in government you’re not allowed to be corrupt but it’s ok in opposition.
No it’s not the barometer Jane. Are you answering for Tommy now? But is that the barometer for excusing corruption in government , point the finger at opposition . the opposition don’t make the laws , don’t govern the country , don’t give out state contracts , that’s the government.
Jane say the same to you since your answering for Tommy. Was slab Murphy ever a government minister? Was he ever in government? Is he the opposition. Was he a td ?
Tommy cratur do you remember that Fine Gael tax dodging as a party fiasco dont worry cratur we have it all here on links just waiting for your minor point to be consumed my a much greater one. Fine GaelsTax Dodging Policies as a Political Party at a finger tip click away.
Actually, he has a point. Enda stands by Lowry, Bertie stands by Burke, Adams stands by Murphy… Burton did the same with Begg. Any politician that puts their party loyalty before common good cannot be trusted, and they should not be voted for. If you vote for any party that behaves like this, regardless of the party, then you are part of that system of cronyism. Do something to get your own houses in order, or stop throwing stones.
The answer Jane is no. Is this an article about our current taoiseach. A current fg minister. About a dodgy corrupt deal. Answer Jane yes. When you can only answer by deflecting to something that has nothing to do with this topic and article , then that tells its own story.
Meant former fg minister in lowrry. Not current.
why is the baron refusing questions on the topic in the lead up to the ‘good republicans’ sentencing?
^^
Just a gentle reminder that its his job to turn every negative story about this sham of a government and its leader into a mud slinging match about Sinn Fein.
Ignore the troll.
Why are you Tommy deflecting on Kenny and Lowry? Pathetic . but hey if that’s all you have good luck to you.
Tommy / Diarmuid / Dane Tyghe and numerous other Twitter names, are all the one FG Troll !
Tommy . away you go. Sure Jane will be back answering for you soon.
There was an article about you trolls earlier, did you read it perhaps, have you any shame?
Firstly I’m not answering for anyone, I have an opinion and I’m entitled to that.
Sinn Fein have put themselves up as a beacon for change in this country. They bemoan the corruption that has and is taking place. Then they turn around and give their full backing to Slab Murphy who has been found guilty of fraud. Seriously do you not see a problem for SF here?
Also SF along with others are being investigated in the North for claiming expenses that on the face of it looks very dodgy. If you’re going to put yourself in a pedestal as the answer to the current problems in the country you’d want to make damn sure your own house is in order first.
Jane 2 things….
1. Slab Murphy is not a member of Sinn Fein.
2. Adams referred to Slab Murphy as a good republican due to many factors, none of them due to his tax compliance in the 26 counties. Would your mechanic stop being a ‘good mechanic’ if he was caught cooking the books? Did Lester Piggot stop being a good jockey when he done for tax dodging?
See how it works?
Slab Murphy brought almost all of the South Armagh IRA along with the peace process, ultimately helping enormously to bring peace to our Island. you’ll have a hard time convincing people that his tax compliance status in the 26 counties diminishes that fact.
Jane . amazingly the only 2 that mention sf on this article is you and Tommy. An article that has nothing whatsoever to do with sf. But if you and Tommy want to go on rants about sf to deflect from this article . carry on. Why no comment on this article.? I will read this article and comment on the article at hand , you and Tommy on the other hand. Ignore this article and go on a rant. Enough said. Carry on.
The party supports him Jammin, come on. Not only that but they now say that closing the SCC is one of their priorities if they are in government. And seriously are you suggesting because he helped with the GFA he gets a free pass on everything afterwards. We should make Bertie president if that’s the case.
Well if you’d like to scroll down a little bit you’ll see I have already commented on this article.
You support a party that supports a convicted fraudster. As Alien said above you are part of the problem.
The real question is Kenny’s ethical suitablity for the role of Taoiseach. My view is that Kenny’s links with Lowry, Phil Hogan and the man who may not be named render him ethically unfit to be the next Taoiseach. FG is in urgent need of fumigation. FF also needs to get rid of its problems. Health politics require corruption free political parties.
Thieves of State must now longer be permitted.
Let us see an end to the Crooked Harp.
I agree Fiona. Also he doesn’t think he’s answerable to the electorate. That really bugs me.
Jane, SF have been against and called for the abolition of the SCC for at least the last 20 years. They are joined in this call by the ICCL, Amnesty International and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
SF never called for a free pass for Murphy despite his contribution to the ending of the PIRA campaign. Adams Himself said that “everyone has a duty to pay the taxes for which they are liable”.
The expenses claim by the Spotlight programme has already been shown up to be flawed by a DUP MLA who was in the programme. http://www.portadowntimes.co.uk/news/local-news/mla-takes-bbc-to-task-after-spotlight-s-expenses-claims-1-6455594 He was accused of spending “£1,725 on an office desk which is, in fact, a fitted reception area in his Tandragee constituency office.” Spotlight didn’t bother to check their facts.
““All the main parties were accused of various alleged scams, and after the way I was treated, I wonder if any of the allegations were founded in fact.”
How often do you get a DUP MLA defending Sinn Fein?
@ jane:
Taken from the leader of SFs statement about Slab Murphy
“Let me be clear, everyone has a duty to pay the taxes for which they are liable. There can be no equivocation on this whatsoever. Those who for any reason have been in default of tax returns need to rectify this and need to ensure that tax returns are in order and in accordance with the law.”
So, any assertion that SF somehow supports tax evasion is simply a lie.
Here Jane is an idea. Did you know the journal is a media site where you can get the news on numerous topics. You can read all types of opinion pieces on different topics. You can get the sports news. You can read and comment if you want. Or just read and not comment. Not everyone that reads has anything to do with any political parties but obviously the delusion in you thinks otherwise. So carry on and enjoy your rants , I on the other hand will read the stories and comment if I want or not comment. Amazingly those Jane that accuses others are usually the ones that spend all their time going on rants about political parties on articles that have got nothing to do with said parties. So maybe Jane it’s you that’s the problem.
They’ve repeatedly called him a good republican. A good republican is one that contributes to their state and pays their taxes. You cannot in one breathe say we should all pay our taxes and then say but he’s a good republican. They support him and that’s all there is to it.
Brian it is in no way surprising that the DUP are defending SF in this case because as bad as SF appear to be the unionist it would seem are worse.
They all want to discredit the program and carry on as before.
“They’ve repeatedly called him a good republican. A good republican is one that contributes to their state and pays their taxes. ”
Ah, so now we have the irish tory party supporters defining what a good republican is.
Good one.
As SF were the political arm of a terrorist organisation it is wholly understandable that they have always been against the SCC. Were they calling for its closure when Dundon was jailed out of it? Not at all, kept there head down and said nothing. Now that it’s one of their own though it’s a very different story.
They have consistently opposed the SCC. Not speaking out on every single case that comes before it does not change that fact.
Oh, and Jane. Michael Noonan pays his taxes, but allowed Europe to blackmail us into voting for the fiscal compact, effectively changing our sovereign constitution, handing oversight of our finances to a foreign power. By your definition he’s a good republican, correct?
I’m more concerned about the issue of whether Enda Kenny is ethically fit to be the next Taoiseach. It is the Lowry and Kenny connection which worries me.
If a “good Republican” is one who pays their taxes then does it carry over that Fine Gael are “bad Republicans” considering that they were caught cheating on their taxes some years back?
Littleone I have no idea what you are on about to be honest.
So you don’t think to be considered a good republican you should pay your taxes Jammin?
I’m not a ‘Tory supporter’. I don’t support any party.
Brian yes I agree, any FG, FF or anyone else not paying taxes owed are a good republican, whatever that is. They’re all crooks.
Fiona which of them are ethically fit? Not one of the party leaders have any integrity.
For the Sake of Fair Representation:
Gerry Adam’s basically used the case of Thomas Murphy’s trial by the Special Criminal Court (on which he was specifically & publicly Questioned on by the Irish Independent originally) to make a political point on what has consistently been Sinn Féin’s policy:
That is that any trial without a right to 12 member Jury who can each independently think critically and scrutinise the Trial evidence for themselves -thus allowing it to be attacked from 12 different perspectives- will inevitably be unfair and much less conclusive than one without (such as the case with the SCC which is composed of three judges appointed by the government).
This view is based on the central tenet of Republicanism borne out of the French Revolution
-that is the fundamental right of all citizens to a fair trial and equality before the law- as laid out in the principles of the 1916 Proclamation and to which Sinn Féin adheres itself to.
To this end, here is Gerry Adams’ statement on this matter(in response to an article by Míchael Martin previously written in the Irish Independent ),which for any sincere conclusive debate to take place,is definitely worth reading through in full.
I have also taken the liberty of quoting portions of it so one can read through it relatively quickly,
if they wish, while casually browsing the comments:
“…. I have made it very clear that everyone has a duty to make sure their tax affairs are in order. There can be no equivocation about this, whether it involves a multi-national company, a newspaper owner or a farmer.
Micheál Martin takes particular issue with my criticisms of the Special Criminal Court.
The views of Sinn Féin relating to the Court are well known and we have been unequivocal in our opposition to the existence and operation of the non-jury Special Criminal Court. Pointing out the circumstances of the Special Criminal Court trying a case for a failure to complete tax returns is a legitimate criticism I am entitled to make.
The Fianna Fáil leader’s claim to lead “the Republican party” is exposed by his lack of understanding of the meaning of the term ‘Republican’. Republicans believe in the fundamental rights of citizens to a fair trial and equality before the law.
The right to a trial by one’s peers has always been a cornerstone of Republican ideology. It was a core demand and outcome of the 1789 French Revolution and has been a hallmark of just legal systems for centuries.
There is no place for special courts in a modern, democratic society. Micheál Martin clearly does not share that view. Sinn Féin is not alone in its opposition to the use of non-jury Courts. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Amnesty International and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights have also criticised the continued existence of the Special Criminal Court. The former President, Mary Robinson, has also voiced her concerns.
Furthermore, there is an onus on the Irish and British Governments under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, which was endorsed by the vast majority of people on this Island, to work towards the normalisation of policing and security matters, both North and South.
On the issues of cross-border crime, the Fianna Fáil leader ignores the reality of Sinn Féin’s position on all of these matters. Our party has stood up to criminals and in support of citizens and communities. For that, some of us have received death threats. …………”
“……..Micheál Martin and other merchants of spin have contrived a narrative that Sinn Féin’s criticism of non-jury courts is an attempt to undermine the institutions of the State. Nothing could be further from the truth. The job of legislators is not just to make new laws, but to repeal bad ones in the interest of citizens.
The continued existence of the Special Criminal Court denies citizens their human rights. In modern times, we have witnessed the introduction of marriage equality and divorce, both positive measures that have repealed constitutional bans on the ability of citizens to be treated equally and fairly in the eyes of the State. The laws banning these rights were bad laws.
Those, including Sinn Féin, who campaigned against them, were not against the rule of law any more than those opposed to the Special Criminal Court. …”
In addition one can read through Sinn Féin’s Justice spokesperson Pádraig Mac Lochlainn’ statements as well:
https://www.facebook.com/padraig.maclochlainn/posts/547387662091982
h**ps://www.facebook.com/padraig.maclochlainn/posts/547785558718859
Dalian, completely off topic.
The problem isn’t whether enda needs to go to Lowery the problem for me is the possibility that either will be returned after the election. If you put a frog into boiling water it will jump straight out. If you put it in cold water and boil it, it will stay there and cook to death. If we went to the polls two years ago, the frogs would be hopping as it stands we’re currently swimming away in tepid water as the government turns up the heat. We’ve no one to blame but ourselves if we vote these shysters back in.
Fiona, In fairness it was obviously in response to the discussion that was taking place above -Which itself is off topic to the article.
When Enda Kenny was appointed as Taoiseach and asked then on RTE would he redamit Lowry to the FG Party, Kenny prevaricated. The connection is Lorwy, Phil Hogan and Kenny with the man whose name cannot be mentioned except by quotation from the Moriarty Tribunal and who has his army of lawyers on permanent standby.,
Fiona, he only ruled out lowry (if you really believe that) the exact same time that the story about FG making a Hames of their calculations for their manifesto hit the headlines.
Great article in the Irish mail abour a FG in meltdown on day one of the campaign….
cf.broadsheet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/mail-1.jpg
Great article in the independent saying this election is merely about deciding who is the lead the opposition to FG, so so true
Haha Tommy. Dob independent. Sure isn’t he great mates with fg.
In the indo? PMSL!
“This just in…APPLESAUCE IS GREAT!!”
And who owns the indo?
Surely on the basis of Enda Kenny’s poor judgment of character, he should now ‘retire’ immediately from politics?
He is further contaminated by all this FG and Liebour corruption !
Kenny would get into bed with the devil if it gained him votes
“a man of the highest integrity and honour”. Funny how FG come out with the “good republican” lie in relation to slab Murphy but forget about Kenny and Lowery. Then again lies and innuendo seems to be all that FG are putting out these days. They can’t even get their fiscal space lies together what with them being out by a couple of billion here and there.
Kenny’s weasel words about Lowry’s support shows the true moral calibre of FG. Other parties properly and decisively excluded Lowry’s support., but not FG. That tells you what FG truly is.,
the words were spoken in 1997. 19 years ago.
Eddie/chiarraiocht, you’re priceless, you know that?
Did he say it before we all found out what Lowry is? If he did then that’s slightly different. I doubt Lowry was going around telling everyone his dodgy dealings before they became public knowledge. What Kenny can be accused of is being a bad judge of character and that in itself is a big failing in a leader of country.
dont mention Baron Adams judgement of character. IRA kangaroo court thugs are described as ‘decent’, tax cheats are described as ‘good republicans’, has the Baron any shame at all?
He has, it’s name be Joan
JJ O’Riordan ,
Thank you for your kind remarks.
You are echoing just what my wife and children say about me, all the time !
I’m chuffed hearing it from you especially – such a close ally and supporter of our outgoing Taoiseach , Tánaiste, Alan Kelly and Michael Lowry and the whole corrupt caboodle of them !!!
You’re right Eddie they are all corrupt and feathering their own best. That also includes your beloved SF. Lots of dodgy dealings going on with Research Services Ireland.
how will you celebrate FG second term eddie? Slabs sentencing in the middle is just the icing on the cake for the 1916 celebrations. The future looks bright and prosperous for all under the FG flag :)
The scandal of ESAT Digifone and Lowry’s conduct was known in 1997 and caused Lowry to have to resign as a result of the McCracken Tribunal Report. Despite what the McCracken Tribunal concluded, Kenny decided to make his statement about Lowry being of the highest integrity. As yourself why Kenny went against the McCracken Tribunal. It was the McCracken tribunal which led to the Moriarty Tribunal.
Noonan had to resign as FG leader over the revelation concealment from the Moriarty Tribunal of a $50,000 donation to the FG party by interests connected with the man who cannot be named.
The late David Austin, a cousin of John Bruton, was used to collect monies and pretend they cam from other sources. Read the Moriarty Tribunal Report.
Lol. You think my being anti sf/ira means I’m a fg member? No no, just anti sf/ira. You criticise other people’s judgement when your own chief of staff does nothing about sexual assault in his own ranks, and his own family? Calling known criminals “good relublicans”? Sending your own county man to pick up murderer Pearse McAuley from prison? Like I said priceless eddie /chiarraioch.
Well if it was after it became public he’s an apologist for Lowry.
Read the MCCracken and the Moriarty Reports. There is a full detailing not only of Lowry’s chicanery but the role of the bit players in senior FG circles in all of this. It’s all a matter of public record.
SF people like EDDIE always say the past is the past or let it go!! Yet people are here giving out about something that was said in 1996. We could print a list of all the crimes committed by SF or IRA members and associates between then and now also but that would be a long long list.
Were the Tribunals where Lowery was found guilty not long after that? So how would Kenny have known. Once it was known he was kicked out of FG.
Ah but you see, Greg, only some aspects of the past are relevant. SF/IRA’s past murders, abuse, terrorism? “Stop living in the past”. A lapse in judgement in the 1990′s? “KILL THEM!!!”
I’ve read parts of the moriarty report but not the McCracken.
Greg, the article is about Kenny and Lowry. Read the article.
The McCracken Trubunal revealed the dirt on Lowry in August 1997. Lowry had to resign as Minister and then as FG. Despite all of the chicanery revealed, Kenny decided to give many glowing testimonies about Lowry. In the full knowledge of what Lowry had done.
The when Kenny was first appointed as Taoiseach and gave his first Taoiseach interview to RTE, and although repress teddy pressed, Kenny would not rule out re-admitting Lowry to the FG Party. Facts tell the truth.
Jane, the McCracken Report excoriated Lowry. It led to Lowry’s resignation, first as Minister, then his resignation as a Trusee of the FG party and then his resignation as a member of the afar party. The rumour at the time was that Lowry was only expected to resign until the heat went out of this and that he was promised re-admission when the time was right.
Even the Labour Party, bad as it now is, have actually excluded Lowry
Fiona I did read the article. It says he said the comments in 1996 BEFORE the 1997 report you are referring to.
The point I was making about the past was in reference to SF supporters like Eddie who say to leave things in the past when it suits them!
Tommy macdonagh/Diarmuid/Leo it’s not SF’s or the Slabs fault you were left high and dry,directionless ,feeling betrayed when the Orange statlet colapsed.
Time to dry the eyes and move on Dermo,living with your Catholics neighbours on an equal,shared basis is here to stay.
The ESAT Digifine Licence was issued on the 16th May1996, following a decision taken back on the 25the October 1995. The Irish Times and the Sunday Tribune had already disclosed massively incriminating dossiers against Lowry.
its the shinners that have being left high and dry, never even got within a sniff of power that must really hurt :D
Fiona that all may be so, but I am again drawing your attention to the article and your previous points made. He said that in late 1996 before the inquiry you are referring to in mid 1997.
It was right that FG threw out Lowery. I am not here trying to defend Lowery at all btw.
*Lowry
The point is that Lowry’s shenanigans and chicanery as an FG Minister were public knowledge in Fine Gael in 1995. McCracken in 1997 only confirmed what was already known in 1995 and 1996. Kenny knew exactly Lowry was back in 1995 but supported Lowry for his fund raising abilities.
What about the “5 point plan” – huh!
That was too complicated.
They’ve now reduced it to a 3 point plan to see if Enda can understand smaller numbers, fingers crossed that he will, but he’s still stuck on two pints in one hand, so it’s going to be an uphill struggle.
The €1.5 million with of advisors are working on a new back up plan that involves the alphabet…it’s called the ABC plan….but his reading isn’t a strong point either.
Point 1 : Lie theough your teeth Point 2: Don’t mention IW but ruthlessly implement it if re-elected Point 3: Serve the rich and further denigrate /exploit the poor Point 4: Avoid debates because I can’t think for myself and literally s**t myself if something hasn’t been scripted and pre-rehearsed 250 times. Point 5: Create inquiries that are investigated by our own people and heavily redact sensitive information thats in the ‘public interest’ .
fastest growing economy in europe and 135000 jobs, the five point plan was a roaring success :)
Yes Tommy, about those jobs?
http://www.broadsheet.ie/2016/01/27/one-job-8/
40% of all new jobs are either part-time or minimum wage.
Yes Christy, all jobs.
FG also increased the minimum wage twice in one term… im sure that was for their banker friends though….
At least you are admitting that they have a cosy relationship with the bankers tommy.
No tommy, not real jobs.
Enda Kenny, bertie a hern, Charlie haughey and cowen and all that will follow in their footsteps will be self serving w@nkers…… Cant wait til i vote the next one in….
FG have no shame…
Why Willy? Those comments were from 1996 before the tribunal. Once Lowry was found out, he was kicked out of FG and has been independent since .
Errr…no Greg…..from the article…..
“The facts:
Kenny spoke during a 3 December 1996 Dáil debate (not 1997, as stated by Ross), on the nomination of Alan Dukes as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications.
This was following the resignation of Lowry amid scandal over the awarding of the first mobile phone license to Denis O’Brien’s ESAT Digiphone.”
The McCracken tribunal wasn’t set up till the start of 1997 and the findings around Lowry not till August 1997 as pointed out by Fiona above.
Certainly not trying to defend Lowry btw . Wouldn’t give the man a vote
The point being that parties don’t force a politician who is “a man of the highest integrity and honour” to resign. They knew exactly what when on and were on damage control duty.
The decision to grant ESAT Digifone the Licence was made on the 25th October 1995 and Lowry signed the Licence on the 16th May 1996. Lowry had form long before 1996. He made up stories about private investigators after him.
A vote for Lowry is a vote for Fag and a vote for FG is a vote for Lowry.
Lowry knows that Kenny will re-admit him to the FG Party after the election. Lowry will then no longer be an independent.
Ah now Fiona you’ve let the cat outta the bag with that one. I’d say Kenny and FG were hoping that nobody would cop on to their little plan for Lowery until it was too late to do anything about it. I’d say that he wouldn’t be the only Independent to join them either.
Kenny will not have dealings with independents but he can admit independents into the FG party and they are no longer independents. Kenny and Lowry go back a very long way. They have a lot of time for each other. Kenny wants Lowry back in from the cold.
Lowry and Kenny. They are peas in a pod. They serve the interests of the wealthy and the privileged. They know what side their bread is buttered on.,
Kenny knew that Lowry was a rotten egg well before 1997. Kenny knew from the McCracken Tribunal Report that Lowry was a rotten apple when the McCracken Tribunal Report issued and caused Lowry to resign. Still Kenny defended Lowry. Still Kenny continued to defend Lowry and even when Kenny gave his first interview on RTE after he was appointed as Taoiseach, still Kenny refused to rule out the re-admission of Lowry to the FG party.
Michael Lowry considers Enda Kenny a politician if the highest integrity and Phil Hogan endorses both of them as men of the highest integrity.
Fiona you do know from the article that those comments were from 1996.
And Kenny knew about Lowry from 1995, which information was later confirmed by the McCracken Tribunal.
Read first the NcCracken Tribunal Report and then the Moriarty Tribunal Report and you will see FG corruption exposed.
Does anyone remember that when the FG former Minister Jum Mitchell joined the Board of ESAT Telecom, he used a Consultancy Services operation with an address at a burned out premises on Dodder Road as the vehicle for being paid consultancy fees.
Does anyone remember the prominent businessman who made lots of donations to the FG fundraising events and who later became a billionaire?
It is sad to see FG supporters invoke the criminality of republicans in defence of FG’s corruption. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
At least we have CAB investigating although it’s over 20 years later!
Lowry, Phil Hogan and Enda Kenny, all connected with the man who has a Date of Birth.
Denis o bribe.
It seems that the FG Party activists have now decided to pass on this hot potato. I’m not surprised. Enda Kenny cannot be defended on this one.
I can’t make up my mind if Lowry is in Kenny’s pocket or Kenny is in Lowry’s pocket but they are bith in a much bigger pocket.
ross gave a stunning testimonial to pj mara a couple of weeks ago and he was the fixer to two corrupt leaders and a party of gangsters.
Was he using a different dictionary?
What I laugh at in this country no one asks were that gangster got the money to buy all the horses he has in the first place. State were only concern was if he paid tax when he sold them.
I’ll let you in on a little secret… horse breed, so if two horses love each other deeply, they cuddle in a special way they can become mommy and daddy horses and by a miracle the two becomes three.
Little secret Tommy. Horses can only breed if daddy is a stallion. So are all the horses stallions?
Answer Tommy no .The price Mr Lowry paid for the mare, Wedding Morn, is not known but afterwards he would have paid in the region of €115,000 to have her covered by one of the country’s foremost stallions, Coolmore’s Danehill Dancer.
Good republicans everywhere are happier.
I’m not a republican but yes this makes me extremely happy to see attention been brought to Enda Kenny’s praise of a criminal.
The topic of the article is the exculpate on of Lowry by Kenny when some of Lowry’s misconduct as a serving FG Minister and FG Trustee was already disclosed by the McCracken Tribunal.
Nice deflection attempt by you.
When wrong doing was found out he was expelled from FG unlike when wrong doing is done by “good republicans” whether that was FF of the past or SF ever. I think that’s what he is referring to.
Lowry resigned from FG. Lowry was not just a Minister but actually a Trustee of the Fine Gael Party. Lowry resigned as a Minister in November 1997 and as a Trustee. He then resigned as a Party member.
Greg, many in your party look forward to the return of Lowry to the FG party.
Greg, another point, Kenny’s encomium and tribute to Lowry happened after Lowry’s resignation as an FG against a background of multiple improprieties making his position entirely untenable. Despite this, Kenny saw the need to give a character endorsement for Lowry. Interesting and significant.
“Enda Kenny ‘jokes’ about Michael Lowry rejoining Fine Gael” 13/07/2010
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/politics/2010/07/13/enda-kenny-jokes-about-michael-lowry-rejoining-fine-gael/ .
“Deputy leader and health spokesman Dr James Reilly, who attended the party, said: “I wouldn’t take it too seriously. We’ve an excellent representative down there in [Tipperary North TD] Noel Coonan. That’s not to say we won’t always be looking for more seats.”
So as far back as 2010 the Deputy Leader of Fine Gael was already putting out feelers about bringing Lowry into the fold. He wouldn’t have had to try hard seeing as Lowry is a personal fried of Phil Hogan of Irish Water infamy.
Then again Lowry seems to be on a friendly basis anyway with Enda Kenny seeing as he likes to pass notes in the Dail chambers like two little school boys “Taoiseach, would you please consider re-appointing Valerie O’Reilly to the board of the NTA. A woman, bright, intelligent and not bad looking either! Michael Lowry,” http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/exclusive-exminister-passes-note-to-taoiseach-seeking-crony-appointment-30934975.html
Maybe that’s why the Kenny waited and stalled so long before being forced to exclude Lowry (for now) from any dealings in the next government as an independent TD. However as Fiona has pointed out on this thread it doesn’t exclude him from being welcomed back as a member of the Fine Gael “I want loadsa money” Party. He should fit right in with the “what’s in it for me?” attitude of FG.
Brian Ward does us a service in drawing attention to Kenny and these remaks which are in July 2013, almost 18 months after the final Report on Lowry.
People are trying to avoid this Kenny and Lowry close connection, originally forged by Phil Hogan.
If the polls are right, does Enda Kenny have the integrity to be Taoiseach again. I don’t think that Kenny is fit to be Taoiseach although a certain billionaire will be very pleased if Kenny is back in.
Did he resign or was he fired?
It is interesting to see that some in FG and not just Kenny still support Lowry. Had it not been for the McCracken Tribunal and the Moriarty Tribunal, Lowry would likely be the current Taoiseach. Scary thought. It tells me what I need to know about the ethical standards or lack thereof of the FG Party.
While we all know how much Enda Kenny is hated by commenters on this site but surely there are quotes that you all can get angry about that are not all of 19 years old.
Some integrity! When will our elected Politicians pass legislation to put any politician who takes a bribe in Jail?
Any politician who takes a bribe should get a minimum of 5 years in jail and should lose his Dail salary and pension !
What political party will put that in their election manifesto?
Will Enda?
Will Michael?
Will Joan?
Will Gerry ?
I bet not one of them will!
Who agrees?
I think we’re probably all better off voting for the independents in our own locality, at least they’ll look after their own community first, then somebody capably of running the country at a national level might emerge from this group, because lets face it, all the main political partys are devoid of capable politicians who can perform at the national level.
Maybe we need to disband the partys, put them in the bin, select individuals from all the different constituencys, then let them negotiate and form a group on running the country, re-build the politicial system from the ground up.
Pure crooks and traitors shaming the whole country shower of gimps
I seem remember a former FG minister John Bruton (him of the many pensions) give a similar accolade to Mr Lowry.The words (friends for life) comes to mind. ..but maybe I’m wrong????
Who fact checks the fact checker?
https://twitter.com/Shane_RossTD/status/557324574850052096
And the eejits of the country think that they are great???
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say