Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael defend Lowry negotiations, but say he's unlikely to be a minister

Norma Foley said the goal is to reach an agreement by 22 January “if at all possible”.

MEMBERS OF FIANNA Fáil and Fine Gael’s negotiating teams have defended including Michael Lowry in government formation talks, saying the independent TD was given a mandate by the people of Tipperary North.

Lowry is one of the lead negotiators in the Regional Independent group, which is holding more talks with the two biggest parties today.

Education Minister Norma Foley said it’s unlikely Lowry will hold a Cabinet position in the incoming government. “I don’t see that situation arising,” she said, during a discussion on RTÉ’s Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin today.

Her comments echo those made by her party leader, Micheál Martin, during the week. The outgoing Tánaiste, and expected new Taoiseach, said Lowry will not hold a ministry in the next government.

Martin was being questioned on Thursday after An Garda Síochána confirmed that a file had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) relating to the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal.

The Tribunal was established in 1997 to examine payments to former Taoiseach Charles Haughey and Lowry, a former Fine Gael Minister for Communications.

The tribunal concluded that Lowry “secured the winning” of the State’s second mobile phone licence for Denis O’Brien’s company, Esat Digifone. Lowry and O’Brien have repeatedly disputed the findings.

Martin was among those to call for Lowry’s resignation from the Dáil in 2011 over the tribunal’s findings.

‘When did their opinion change?’

The Regional Independent group is made up of Lowry, Seán Canney, Marian Harkin, Barry Heneghan, Noel Grealish, Kevin (Boxer) Moran and Gillian Toole.

unnamed Seán Canney, Michael Lowry and Marian Harkin arriving at Government Building for talks earlier today © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

Speaking on the same programme, Fine Gael TD Martin Heydon said: “When a government is formed, the government will be government ministers.

You have backbenchers who support a government, that’s different from government ministers… I don’t expect Michael Lowry to be a government minister.

During the same debate, Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly said she would “genuinely now love to know at what point in the last 13 to 14 years the opinion of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in relation to Deputy Lowry actually changed”.

“To my understanding, nothing has changed – bar the need for additional votes in order that they might put together their government,” she added.

Kerry TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rae are also in talks this weekend with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael about supporting the next government.

Foley said the goal is to reach an agreement by 22 January, when the Dáil is next due to sit, “if at all possible”.

“We are taking this very seriously. There’s a lot of hours being put in here, and there’s an absolute determination to deliver a Programme for Government that will last five years, similar to the previous government lasting five years,” the minister added.